Home Office paying for thousands of empty beds reserved for asylum seekers

Government keeps buffer' of 5,000 beds to avoid repeat of overcrowding seen at Manston last year

The Home Office is paying for thousands of empty hotel beds reserved for people seeking asylum to avoid a repeat of dangerous overcrowding at a processing centre last year, MPs have heard.

Officials told the Commons public accounts committee the government department keeps a buffer" of about 5,000 beds across the country in case of a sudden influx of Channel crossings in a bid to avoid a repeat of problems at the Manston processing centre in Kent.