Under new reforms introduced by the UK Home Office, asylum seekers will have to pay about £10,000 (approximately ₦18 million) to qualify for settlement.
The bill, which the government presented to Parliament on Tuesday, grants the Home Office broader powers to recover costs from people who have received asylum support, including accommodation and subsistence allowances, provided they have sufficient financial resources.
However, asylum seekers have traditionally not been required to pay for settlement, and such a requirement is not standard practice in many countries around the world.
Home secretary, Shabana Mahmood also noted that asylum seekers in the UK have become a financial burden on the taxpayer.
“The cost of asylum accommodation on the British taxpayer is too high,” Mahmood said.
“We have already reduced asylum costs by £1 billion, but it is also right that we ask those who can contribute to do so.
“Receiving asylum support is a right, but it is also a responsibility. Once people can contribute and repay the generosity of the British people, we expect them to do so.”
The new charges will also apply to former asylum seekers who leave the United Kingdom and later seek to return.
According to estimates from the UK Home Office, housing an asylum seeker costs an average of £144 per night in hotels and £23.25 per night in dispersed accommodation, while weekly subsistence payments range from £9.95 to £49.18 per person.
The UK government also said that 25% of people aged 16 to 64 who were granted asylum between 2015 and 2023 secured employment within a year of receiving their status. That figure rose to 50% two years after they were granted asylum.
Backstory…
The proposed £10,000 repayment requirement is part of a broader overhaul of the United Kingdom’s immigration and asylum system aimed at reducing public spending and tightening migration rules.
Under the proposed legislation, asylum seekers who are granted refugee status and later become financially stable would be required to repay the cost of accommodation and state support received while their applications were being processed before qualifying for permanent settlement.
The measure has been defended by the UK government as a means of easing the burden on taxpayers, with annual asylum support estimated at about £4 billion. However, refugee advocacy groups and immigration experts have criticised the proposal as punitive, arguing that it could make it harder for refugees to rebuild their lives and achieve long-term financial independence after fleeing conflict and persecution.
