UK to charge refugees £10,000 under new asylum repayment rules
By Aboki Forex —
The UK government will ask refugees to repay around £10,000 under new asylum rules. Adults with enough money will have to pay the sum over time before they can get settled status.
The plan is part of the upcoming Immigration and Asylum Bill. It applies to people with refugee status or indefinite leave to remain. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the change shows that asylum support comes with responsibility.
She said once people can contribute, they should repay the generosity of the British people. Migrants who work and earn a certain amount will pay a flat rate. The Home Office has not yet set the earnings threshold for repayment.
The home secretary can adjust the charge and repayment terms later. The goal is to be fair to taxpayers without forcing migrants into poverty. The Home Office spent about £4 billion on asylum support last year.
Housing an asylum seeker costs £23.25 per night in public accommodation and £144 in a hotel. Subsistence payments range from £9.95 to £49.18 per person per week.
The Refugee Council called the plan unfair and impractical. It said the move is an extra tax on refugees. Director Imran Hussain noted that the Home Office bans asylum seekers from working while their claims are processed. He said support only goes to those at risk of destitution, so the new charge would harm people who arrive with nothing.
Oxford University's Migration Observatory questioned how much money the government will recover. It pointed to low employment and earnings among refugees. Dr Madeleine Sumption said only 13% of refugees from five years ago earned at least £20,000 in 2023. The rest were not working or earned less. She said unless thresholds are set well below the minimum wage, few people will be affected.