Politics Weekly UK Immigration system in crisis: sky-high hotel bills and a convict on the loose
Oct 27, 2025
A parliamentary committee blasts the Home Office for wasting billions on unsuitable asylum accommodations. In a shocking twist, a convicted sex offender was accidentally released, igniting a manhunt. The duo links these immigration issues to deeper systemic failures. The Labour Party faces backlash after a stunning loss in Caerphilly, while Reform UK's rising influence raises eyebrows. Plus, the collapse of a China spy trial complicates international relations and raises questions about government transparency.
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Asylum Hotels Became An Expensive Permanent Fix
- The Home Affairs Committee says £15bn was squandered on asylum hotels meant as temporary stopgaps.
- Eleni Courea and Pippa Crerar highlight the system became permanent, expensive, and often unsuitable for asylum seekers.
Convicted Offender Accidentally Released
- Hadish Kibatu, jailed for sexual offences and ordered deported, was accidentally released from Chelmsford prison.
- He travelled to London before being rearrested, exposing deep operational failures in the prison system.
Systemic Strain Behind High-Profile Failures
- Prisons and the justice system are overstretched after years of cuts, leaving staff overwhelmed and the estate creaking.
- Both hosts argue these structural pressures make high-profile errors, like wrongful releases, more likely.