People granted asylum in the UK will be expected to repay around £10,000 towards the cost of their accommodation and support once they start earning, under government plans confirmed by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. The measure, part of the Immigration and Asylum Bill to be presented to Parliament on Tuesday, requires adults with sufficient means to clear the debt before they can qualify for permanent settlement – the indefinite leave to remain needed to live, work and study in the UK permanently.
“Asylum support is a right, but it is also a responsibility,” Mahmood said. “Once people can contribute and repay the generosity of the British people, we expect them to do so.” The flat-rate fee is expected to be set at £10,000, though the Home Office has not yet determined the earnings threshold at which monthly instalments would begin. The home secretary retains the power to adjust the charge and repayment levels in future to ensure they are “both fair to the taxpayer and will not force any migrant into destitution.”
“Asylum seekers in the UK must repay around £10,000 towards accommodation before they can settle permanently.”
Those whose asylum claims are rejected will also have to repay costs if their earnings meet the threshold, and must settle the debt before they can return to the UK. The government’s announcement comes after the Home Office confirmed that around £4bn of taxpayers’ money was spent supporting asylum seekers last year, with average nightly accommodation costs of £23.25 in private-rented housing and £144 in hotels, plus subsistence payments ranging from £9.95 to £49.18 per person per week.
The Refugee Council described the plans as “unfair, impractical” and an “extra tax on refugees” that would make it “harder for families to rebuild their lives and stand on their own feet.” Its director of external affairs, Imran Hussain, said: “The reason why many need asylum support is because the Home Office itself bans asylum seekers from working while their claims are being assessed. Asylum support is only given to people who are at risk of being destitute, so this new financial burden would only harm those who arrive on our shores with nothing.”
Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, said the measures would move the immigration system “in a more restrictive direction.” She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the government’s goal “appears to be to tighten up that system as much as they can while still remaining compliant with international refugee law and human rights law.” Home Office figures show that of those granted asylum between 2015 and 2023, a quarter were in employment within the same calendar year, rising to half after two years. Among those working eight years after receiving refugee status, 37% had full-time jobs with median earnings of £23,000, and only 40% earned above the minimum wage – leaving many questioning how they would afford a £10,000 repayment.