UK GOVERNMENT has proposed making asylum seekers repay around £10,000 received in accommodation and basic living support before they can apply to settle in Britain.
The proposal, announced on Monday, is the latest measure aimed at deterring illegal migration. Under the plan, only adults who can afford to repay the money would be charged, while children would be exempt.
The government said safeguards would be put in place to ensure people are not pushed into destitution, and the rules would not apply retrospectively.
Immigration remains one of the most contested issues in British politics, consistently ranking among voters' top concerns in opinion polls and at times fuelling protests and community tensions.
The Labour Party has stepped up efforts to stop migrants arriving both legally and illegally as it seeks to counter the rise of Nigel Farage's Reform UK, which has promised to deport up to 600,000 asylum seekers.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said the reforms were intended 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 being pushed into destitution, the government said. Children would be exempt and the rules would not be applied retrospectively.
The latest measures come at a politically sensitive moment for the Labour Party, 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 per person per night in temporary housing and £144 in hotels, in addition to a weekly subsistence payment.
The annual cost of asylum accommodation and support was estimated at about £4 billion last year.
(With inputs from agencies)
