Row over unpublished estimates

A dispute inside government over the impact of asylum reforms has sharpened, according to reporting on Friday. The Guardian reported that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has faced anger from fellow ministers for declining to share the Home Office's estimate of how much homelessness could rise as a result of the changes. Ministers are said to have asked repeatedly for the assessment.

Hotels, support and rough sleeping fears

The concern centres on plans to move people out of asylum hotels and change the support available to them. Ministers working to end rough sleeping fear the changes could push more people onto the streets and add pressure on councils and charities already under strain. The Home Office said the policy had gone through the normal cross-government process and that ending hotel use would not leave people homeless, because people would be moved into more suitable accommodation.

The November 2025 reform package

The reforms at the centre of the row were set out in the government's Restoring Order and Control statement in November 2025. That statement proposed ending permanent leave to remain in its previous form and removing the government's duty to support people who would otherwise become destitute. The Home Office's own impact assessment, released this month, concedes homelessness could rise if repayments reduce disposable income. This article gives general information only and is not personal immigration advice. Readers should check the official GOV.UK page, as rules change.

Sources: The English Chronicle | GOV.UK, Restoring Order and Control | House of Commons Library