UK needs to build a new home every two and a half minutes to house immigrants, Tories claim

The Conservative Party has claimed that a new home will need to be built every two and a half minutes to house immigrants until 2032. This is based on the expectation that net migration will increase the UK population by nearly five million people between 2022 and 2032.

The Tories have calculated that more than two million new homes will be needed to accommodate the new arrivals. This is based on the average household in Britain consisting of 2.36 people. The party claims that a new home will need to be built every 2 minutes 31 seconds to provide housing to the new population.

Labour promised ahead of the election to deliver 1.5 million new homes during its five years in government.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the population of the UK is projected to increase from 67.6 million to 72.5 million between mid-2022 and mid-2032. This will be as a result of “net migration of 4.9 million”.

“It’s obvious that immigration is out of control. But Labour has no plan to get on top of this crisis. We cannot build a new home every 2 minutes, but Labour can get a grip on the border, and stop this tidal wave of migrants coming in. That’s why the Conservatives have put forward a plan that deters immigrants, doubling the time you need to be here to claim benefits, and bringing in a hard cap on visa numbers.”

Alp Mehmet of Migration Watch said Labour looks as if it is “lost in a dreamworld of wishful thinking” when it comes to the housing needs caused by immigration. He said Labour’s goal of building 1.5 million new homes over five years would “barely be enough for future migrants let alone those already here”. “Our need for homes will never be met with immigration at current levels,” he said. “The sooner Keir Starmer’s government accepts this, the better it will be for us all.”

The Home Office has been invited to comment.