Court hears claim asylum camp costs five times hotel

Campaigners challenging the use of a former military site to house asylum seekers have claimed in the High Court that the camp costs five times more per night than a standard hotel.

During a judicial review hearing in London, the community group Crowborough Shield argued that newly disclosed figures reveal a stark cost disparity for housing migrants. The Home Office, however, has strongly disputed the accuracy of these calculations. 

The Cost Claims Compared

A breakdown of the daily per-person accommodation figures presented during the legal challenge shows: 

Alex Goodman KC, representing the campaign group, argued that these figures prove the government’s policy of utilizing ex-military barracks does not represent better value for money for the taxpayer. 

Background of the Legal Challenge

• The Location: The legal dispute centers on the Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex, which has been designated to hold up to 540 men. The first asylum seekers arrived at the camp in January 2026. 
• The Allegations: Crowborough Shield CIC brought the judicial review on the grounds that the Home Office lacked transparency, failed to hold proper public consultations, and side-stepped essential environmental and planning laws. 
• The Home Office Stance: A Home Office spokesperson stated they "do not recognise" the £200-a-night figure. The government maintains that moving asylum seekers into basic, temporary military sites is vital to its ongoing strategy to close every asylum hotel across the UK.