51 people died in Home Office accommodation last year, a Guardian freedom of information request has revealed.  This is a substantial increase from 11 deaths in 2023.

The Home Office initially claimed that only 30 people had died during 2024. It later apologised for releasing “incomplete data,” acknowledging an additional 21 additional deaths.

Officials also admitted that they do not know the cause of all the deaths. Of the initial 30 deaths disclosed to the Guardian, only 8 were definitively linked to illness or natural causes. 9 were attributed to suspected suicide, while a similar number were attributed to an unknown cause.

Transparency around the treatment of asylum seekers remains low; the Home Office does not usually report the deaths, or cause of death, of asylum seekers.

The Asylum Seeker Memorial Project, which gathers information about the deaths of asylum seekers in Home Office housing, reports a number of confirmed or suspected suicides in recent years.

These newest figures follow persistent reports of poor treatment at Home Office migrant facilities. In October 2024, a man died at Brook House detention centre in West Sussex. A public inquiry into Brook House had revealed mistreatment contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects individuals from inhuman or degrading treatment. In November 2024, the Home Office controversially purchased a £15m migrant camp in East Sussex despite the presence of asbestos.

Of the asylum seekers who lost their lives in 2024, 12 died before the age of 40. 11 had no known date of death.