Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is reportedly set to unveil plans to move asylum seekers being housed in hotels to barracks at former military bases, as the government seeks to toughen its immigration policies.
Following widespread protests this summer over the housing of asylum seekers in hotels, Ms Mahmood, who took over from Yvette Cooper as home secretary in Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle on Friday, is reportedly set to announce the use of Ministry of Defence sites to house people.
It comes as Saturday alone saw an estimated 1,000 people arrive in the UK by small boat and French authorities said 24 people were rescued while trying to cross the Channel.
National Crime Agency (NCA) figures show record levels of disruption of immigration crime networks in 2024/25.
Officials believe this contributed to the lowest number of boats crossing the Channel in August since 2019.
But, despite the 3,567 arrivals in August being the lowest since 2021, when looking across the whole of 2025, the figure of 29,003 is the highest on record for this point in a year.
As Sky News’ home editor Jason Farrell writes, Ms Mahmood has become the home secretary of a country where the national flag is being hoisted as a symbol of dissatisfaction – with anger at the arrival of desperate migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.
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Sir Keir makes sweeping changes to Home Office team
Sir Keir Starmer has announced sweeping changes to his ministerial team in the Home Office as his government works to get a grip of illegal migration to the UK.
Here’s a list of who has been moved, besides the home secretary.
Dame Angela Eagle, who was border security and asylum minister, has been moved to the environment department.
Dame Diana Johnson, who was policing and crime minister, has been moved to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
She has said in a post on X that it was an “honour” to work with police officers, and she is “delighted” to be moving to the DWP.
Dan Jarvis has been given a role in the Cabinet Office, in addition to his post as security minister in the Home Office.
And Sarah Jones, who was industry minister, has been moved to the Home Office.
For more on the reshuffle and changes, watch Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips from 8.30am.
He will be joined by Defence Secretary John Healey, Conservative Party Chair Kevin Hollinrake, Greens leader Zach Polanksi, plus Reform’s Andrea Jenkyns.
