“A victory for fairness” Bradley Thomas MP has said after the Government adopts his policy that demands asylum seekers are required to repay their costs.
Last year, the local MP first proposed the idea in Parliament that migrants granted right to remain in the UK should be required to repay their costs via a student loan repayment style scheme.
He urged the Government to explore the idea whereby, if asylum seekers are deemed to be genuinely in fear and are allowed to integrate and remain in the UK, they repay their debt when they become economic contributors and are active in the workplace.
Bradley suggested the repayment scheme could be a tiered, sliding scale that recognises the cost the UK taxpayer is expected to shoulder for people fleeing from a state of alleged persecution.
He proposed the scheme due to his concerns that the current asylum system allows a bottomless pit of funds to be accrued as a debt to be absorbed by the UK taxpayer.
It appears the Government has listened as yesterday (June 30th), Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced asylum seekers who are able to pay back the cost of support and accommodation will now be required to under new laws.
The Immigration and Asylum Bill sets out new powers for the Home Office to recover costs from adults who have received asylum support such as subsistence or accommodation, provided they have access to sufficient funds.
The payment will take the form of a flat-rate charge, with eligible adults paying off an amount each month above a set threshold.
There will be various methods for those individuals to pay. The primary mechanism for this is expected to be through direct payments to the Home Office with options also being explored to use the tax and benefits systems.
Migrants will be required to pay off the full amount before being eligible for settlement. Anyone who leaves the UK will be required to make their payments if they wish to return at a future date.
The Home Secretary will have the power to adjust the charge and the thresholds, ensuring they are both fair to the taxpayer and will not force any migrant into destitution. Under plans, migrants are expected to have to pay a total sum of around £10,000. This figure will be a contribution to the overall cost of their asylum support.
Bradley said:
“I first raised the idea of a student loan system for costs incurred by asylum seekers last year, and it then became Conservative policy, so it’s good to see the Government finally adopting this, despite them rejecting the idea last year.
“This is a victory for fairness because fairness must always be at the heart of our immigration system.
“We must significantly redress the balance in favour of the UK taxpayer, which is why I raised this idea in Parliament in the first place. We cannot view UK taxpayers as just being there to shoulder a bill and disregard their concerns for their communities. This scheme restores fairness.
“However, this scheme must never be in place of a deterrent. Entering the UK via illegal routes must never be rewarded through settlement rights. This scheme is a step in the right direction, but there’s more to do to secure our borders.”
