The Home Office figures for September 30, 2025, show how many asylum seekers are housed in hotels across different areas in the county, with updated figures published every three months.

The number of asylum seekers being housed in Southampton as of September is 112.

This is an increase of 20 from the 92 being housed in June of this same year.

In March this year, there was a total of 103.

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These asylum seekers will be housed in the Highfield House Hotel, which is the only hotel in Southampton that houses asylum seekers.

Several demonstrations have taken place outside Highfield House Hotel in Portswood this summer, with anti-migrant protestors facing off against anti-racism campaigners every Friday.

This has also culminated in marches through the city.

Speaking about the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, councillor for Portswood, Marie Finn, said: “They are not at all ideal.

“They are expensive and not very suitable.

“Closing them suddenly would be a bit problematic because you would need to find accommodations. At the end of this parliament, they said they are having them all closed.

“They seem to be on track with that.”

Cllr Finn added that the persistent protests outside the hotel have been causing distress for residents in the area, as well as those staying at the hotel.

She added: “What is going on there makes it even more unstable.

“We just want to get decisions made on asylum seekers as soon as possible. Then it is all sorted out. The sooner the better, really.”

The Dolphin Hotel, soon to be turned into student accommodation, was also once used to house asylum seekers in Southampton before its closure, leaving Highfield as the only remaining venue.

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Meanwhile, Portsmouth saw a much larger increase of 83, taking its total from 73 in June to 156 in September.

Nationally, there has been a 13 per cent increase in the number of asylum seekers in hotels since June.

Data on the number of hotels in use is not released, but it is estimated that more than 400 asylum hotels were open in summer 2023. Labour stated earlier this year that it had reduced this number to fewer than 210.