Portsmouth Blindsided by Hundreds of Hidden Asylum Seekers
17th August 2025
A council that said it could not take any more asylum seekers has complained to the Home Office after it discovered that hundreds of migrants were being housed locally without its knowledge.
Portsmouth city council discovered last week that 55 rental properties were being used to house at least three asylum seekers each, accommodation known as homes of multiple occupation (HMO).
In 2023, James Hill, the city’s director of housing, told the Home Office the “system’s capacity was such that we couldn’t support additional asylum seekers”. However, at a public meeting in July hosted by Amanda Martin, the Labour MP for Portsmouth North, figures came to light that revealed the number of private properties being used to house migrants had risen from ten at the end of 2019 to 58 in April 2024. Last week, the council confirmed with the Home Office that the number was 55.