UK to Charge Refugees £10,000 for Asylum Support as Bill Targets £4 Billion Cost
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 29
UK to Charge Refugees £10,000 for Asylum Support as Bill Targets £4 Billion Cost
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 29
Summary
Adults granted asylum or indefinite leave to remain in the UK will have to repay about £10,000 for accommodation and support once they start earning, under an Immigration and Asylum Bill due in Parliament on Tuesday.
The flat-rate charge would be paid in instalments and cleared before migrants can qualify for settled status, though the Home Office has not yet set the earnings threshold that would trigger repayments.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the measure would protect taxpayers after £4 billion was spent on asylum support last year, with hotel housing costing £144 a night versus £23.25 in publicly owned accommodation.
Refugee groups called the plan an extra tax on people already barred from working during asylum claims, while Oxford's Migration Observatory said low refugee employment means only a small share may earn enough to repay.
The repayment scheme is part of a wider bill meant to create a tougher asylum system, but some Labour MPs are expected to resist its stricter measures.