The UK Home Office has introduced sweeping immigration reforms that require successful adult asylum seekers to pay back approximately £10,000 (roughly ₦18 million) to qualify for permanent settlement.
Submitted to Parliament on Tuesday, the new bill empowers the Home Office to recoup the costs of state-provided subsistence and housing, provided the individual has access to sufficient funds.
The policy marks a radical departure from traditional asylum protocols, as charging refugees for permanent residency is not a global norm.
However, Shabana Mahmood, home secretary, said 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 costs will also apply to previous asylum seekers who leave the UK and wish to return.
The Home Office estimates that the average cost per person per night of accommodating asylum seekers would be £23.25 in dispersal accommodation and £144 in hotels, while subsistence payment range from £9.95 to £49.18 per person per week.
According to the UK government, a quarter of 16 to 64-year-olds granted asylum status between 2015 and 2023 were in employment within the same calendar year they were granted status, with that number rising to 50 percent two years after refugee status was granted.
Of those who were in employment eight years after the grant, 37 percent were in full-time work with median earnings of £23,000, with 40 percent earning more than minimum wage.
The Home Office said the reforms will ensure asylum seekers take responsibility for the financial impact of their presence in the country.
