UK Asylum Seekers May Have to Repay Support Costs

Asylum seekers in Britain could have to repay the state around £10,000 ($13,222) for accommodation and basic living support before they become eligible to apply for settlement, the government said on Monday.

The proposal is part of its latest effort to deter illegal migration.

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said the reforms were designed to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

“Receiving asylum support is a right, but it is also a responsibility”, she said. “Once people can contribute and repay the generosity of the British people, we expect them to do so.”

Under the proposed rules, only adults who can afford to pay would be charged, with safeguards to prevent them from being pushed into destitution, the government said. The rules would not be applied retrospectively and children would be exempt.

Immigration is one of the most contested issues in British politics, consistently ranking among voters’ top concerns and at times fuelling protests and community tension.

The center-left Labour Party has ratcheted up efforts to stop migrants arriving both legally and illegally as it seeks to counter the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which has promised to deport up to 600,000 asylum seekers.

The latest measures come at a politically sensitive moment for Labour, which has faced internal divisions over how far to tighten immigration policy, as well as broader uncertainty following Keir Starmer’s announcement that he will step down as prime minister.

The Home Office estimates that accommodating asylum seekers costs an average of £23.25 ($30.74) per person per night in temporary housing and £144 ($190.40) in hotels, plus a weekly subsistence payment. The annual cost of asylum accommodation and support was estimated at about £4bn ($5.29bn) last year.

(Reuters, Max)