Exclusive: The Scottish Tories have outlined plans to close all migrant hotels in Scotland amid growing public anger at an influx of asylum seekers which is making Scotland’s homelessness crisis worse.
Anti-migrant protesters demonstrate outside the Cladhan Hotel in September(Image: Getty Images)
The Scottish Tories will outline plans to close all migrant hotels in Scotland as it hit out at both the Scottish and UK Government for their housing failures. The party highlighted growing anger within the country about the influx of illegal immigrants who are given a place to stay – at taxpayers expense.
According to the latest published statistics, the number of asylum seekers living in Scotland increased by 131% since 2015. On 30 June 2015, 2,649 asylum seekers were receiving support in Scotland, by 30 September 2025, this had soared to 6,350.
Many of these flock north of the border to take advantage of the country’s more relaxed homelessness rules, with Glasgow impacted the most by this, becoming the asylum seeker capital of the UK. There is no local connection rules, meaning anyone can claim they are homeless and get accommodation even if they have no links to the region.
There have been mass protests outside some migrant hotels in Scotland – in Falkirk, Perth, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire – with the Home Office promising to shut them down. But so far, the UK Government has been ineffective in this, shutting just three of them by July 2025.
READ MORE: MOD spent thousands testing for Legionnaires’ disease at Cameron BarracksREAD MORE: Asylum seekers at Inverness barracks will get a football pitch… despite shortage across Scotland
The use of hotels for this purpose began during the Covid pandemic, and five years on it is still prevalent. in August 2020, there were 188 people being housed in Scottish hotels, this figure is now 1,656 as of September 2025. A Scottish Tory source admitted that the former UK Conservative Government didn’t go far enough but before leaving office had brought hotel use down by about 200 from their peak.
Kemi Badenoch’s ‘our borders’ plan would be utilised to shut all hotels, with this involving a total ban on asylum claims for illegal entrants, the removal of Britain from the ECHR and repeal of the Human Rights Act and establish a Removals force to send 150,000 illegal immigrants home every year.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch (Image: Getty Images)
The proposals would also deport all new illegal arrivals within a week, as well as all foreign criminals, end the the Immigration Tribunal, Judicial Review and legal aid for immigration cases and establish returns agreements with other countries backed by visa sanctions.
Migrant hotel numbers have risen nearly tenfold since the Covid pandemic, with the homelessness crisis also worsening, as latest statistics showed a record number of children living in temporary accommodation. Glasgow has the most asylum seekers in Scotland, with 3,777, a figure that has actually dropped slightly since June.
None are housed in hotels in the city, with all in either initial or dispersal accommodation. Aberdeen is next with 624, followed by Aberdeenshire with 358. Four local authorities did not have any supported asylum seekers in September: Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, and the Highlands, although there are plans to house 300 male migrants in Cameron Barracks in Inverness.
The Scottish Tories are launching a housing policy paper on Friday, with returning hotels to their original use one of the key priorities. Scottish Conservative shadow housing secretary Meghan Gallacher told the Scottish Daily Express: “Communities in Scotland are understandably concerned about the ongoing use of migrant hotels across Scotland.
“They are putting a major strain on local services, including housing and we believe we must end the use of these hotels and return them to their original use. The situation has been made worse by the SNP’s reckless decision to scrap the local collection rule which has turned Glasgow in particular into a magnet for asylum seekers.
MSP Meghan Gallacher(Image: Getty Images)
“At a time when vulnerable Scots are stuck on housing waiting lists, it is unacceptable that alternative accommodation is not being found and these builds are not being used for a different purpose. Labour and the SNP’s approach towards tackling illegal immigration is failing spectacularly. We will work with Conservative colleagues across the UK to ensure that these hotels are closed as quickly as possible.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “We are furious at the level of illegal migrants and asylum hotels. This government will close every asylum hotel. Work is well underway to move asylum seekers into more suitable accommodation such as military bases, to ease pressure on communities across the country. We are working closely with local authorities, property partners and across-government so that we can accelerate delivery.”
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
Never miss the latest top headlines from the Scottish Daily Express. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.