The UK government proposes a means-tested scheme under which some asylum seekers would be required to contribute about £10,000 toward the cost of accommodation and state support. Multiple outlets report the plan is linked to access to settled status, with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood saying the current cost of supporting asylum seekers on the taxpayer is too high. Under the proposal, asylum seekers would face an order to pay the contribution as a condition of being granted settled status, according to coverage of the bill being considered by MPs.
The scheme is described as being included in an immigration and asylum bill. The Guardian reports charities criticise the approach, arguing it effectively places a burden on refugees at a time when they are fleeing war, torture and famine, and it has been compared by officials to a student-loan style arrangement. Other outlets frame the change as a new requirement for living and accommodation costs, alongside the broader debate about immigration policy and public spending.
The proposal is expected to be debated in Parliament, with responses from charities and others centred on fairness and potential impact on refugees.
