UK to pay up to £40,000 to failed asylum seeker families who leave country

UK launches pilot offering £10,000 to failed asylum seekers who agree to leave taxpayer-funded accommodation, warning of deportation if payments are refused

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Thursday unveiled a pilot scheme offering some failed asylum seekers £10,000 (around Rs 12 lakh) per person, capped at £40,000 (about Rs 40 lakh) for families, if they agree to leave British taxpayer-funded accommodation and depart the country.

 

Announcing the proposal in a policy speech at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in London, Mahmood said families who refuse the payment could face enforced deportation.

 

The Home Office said the scheme draws on a similar approach used in Denmark and will initially target about 150 families. Officials estimate the move could save around £20 million in public spending.

 

“This government will now pilot a similar model for families who are failed asylum seekers. A small number of whom will now be offered an increased incentive payment of £10,000 per person and up to a maximum of £40,000 per family,” said Mahmood.

 

“To put that in an important context, today a family of three in asylum hotel accommodation costs up to £158,000 per year. Should these incentives prove effective, they will represent a saving to the taxpayer.

 

“Where a voluntary removal is refused, we will escalate to an enforced removal for those who can be returned to their safe, home country,” she said.   

 

New conditions on accommodation and support

 

Mahmood also said asylum seekers who break the law or work illegally could lose access to taxpayer-funded housing and financial support.

 

“The generosity of the British people will become conditional on those seeking asylum following the law, living by our rules and not working illegally. Taxpayer-funded accommodation will be reserved for those who: have no right to work and will otherwise be destitute,” said Mahmood.

 

Emergency visa restrictions for four countries

 

Her announcement came a day after the UK government applied what Mahmood described as an “emergency brake” on student visas from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.

 

Afghan nationals are also subject to a suspension of skilled worker visas following a rise in asylum claims from those countries.

 

“I will also impose visit visas on Nicaragua and St Lucia as their visa-free entry has created a back door into this country. I introduce all of these measures in an attempt to bring our systems of legal migration and asylum into line with this Labour party’s values,” she said at the IPPR event.   

 

Settlement rules tightened

 

Mahmood also repeated earlier plans to change the route to permanent settlement in the UK.

 

Under the proposals:

 

• The qualifying period for settlement will double from five years to 10 years

• Applicants must have a clean criminal record

• They must have no outstanding debt to the taxpayer

• They must show a record of work and tax payments

• Higher English language standards will apply

 

“There will be certain conditions that must be met in order to qualify: A clean criminal record, no debt to the taxpayer, a history of being in work and paying taxes, and higher standards of English language,” she said.

 

Temporary asylum protection introduced

 

The announcements follow a policy introduced earlier this week that changes how refugee protection works in the UK.

 

Under the new system:

 

• Asylum protection will initially last 30 months

• Protection will be reviewed at the end of that period

• Refugees whose home countries are considered safe at the review stage will be expected to return

 

Under the previous rules, refugees usually received five years of protection. They could also bring family members to the UK and then apply for permanent settlement with continued access to benefits and housing.

 

“This was amongst the most generous offers to refugees in any country in Western Europe. The Home Secretary has argued this has become a pull factor that has seen asylum claims in Britain rise steeply, including tens of thousands of illegitimate claims each year, as they fall across the rest of the continent,” the Home Office said. 

 

Refugees whose protection continues after the 30-month review will be able to remain in the UK.

 

“At the same time, refugees who wish to stay in Britain and have skills will be able to apply for new work and study visas, helping them integrate with and contribute to society,” the Home Office said.

 

“Britain will also open new, safe and legal routes, with community sponsorship becoming the new norm. The entire approach is designed to shift the asylum system in Britain away from dangerous, illegal crossings, and high levels of applications from those without legitimate asylum claims,” it said.