Responsibility for asylum accommodation must be returned to local authorities from private firms, the charity Refugee Action has said.

In 2019, the Home Office paid £4bn to three contractors - Clearsprings Ready Homes, Mears and Serco - to provide accommodation to people seeking asylum over 10 years.

Refugee Action's head of campaigns, Asli Tatliadim, said: ‘The asylum accommodation contracts have been a licence to print money for these contractors but the gravy train must stop.

‘It's time the Government funded local authorities to run the system on a not-for-profit basis and spent every penny of this public money on protecting refugees and strengthening services that all of us rely on.'

A Government spokesperson said: ‘Despite the number of people arriving in the UK reaching record levels, we continue to ensure the accommodation provided meets all legal and contractual requirements while also providing value for money for the taxpayer.'