Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Britain Pays Failed Asylum Seekers to Stay...

The Government is paying £100,000 a day to support failed asylum seekers, it has been revealed.

Would-be refugees who have been told to leave the country have received a total of £100million from the State since the Coalition came to power.

The support payments are supposed to be temporary - but 2,000 failed asylum seekers have been receiving payments for more than a year.

Claim: Failed asylum seekers are currently being given £100,000 a day by the British Government (file photo)
Claim: Failed asylum seekers are currently being given £100,000 a day by the British Government (file photo)

Critics described the figures as 'madness', claiming that Britain should not spend so much on supporting people who have no right to live here.

Asylum seekers who are denied permission to remain in the UK are entitled to a payment known as 'Section 4 support' if they have no other means of supporting themselves.

This money pays for their accommodation and gives them £35.39 a week to spend on groveries and other necessities.

It is supposed to be handed out on a temporary basis, but 2,000 failed asylum seekers have continued to receive the funds for more than a year.

'Madness': Labour MP Frank Field says the money spent on supporting the immigrants should be cut
'Madness': Labour MP Frank Field says the money spent on supporting the immigrants should be cut
Since the Coalition Government came to power in 2010, more than £100million has been handed out in Section 4 support.

A leading Labour MP criticised the figures, saying they showed that immigration policy was 'madness on stilts'.

Frank Field told The Sun: 'Can you imagine the wall we could build around the country for £100million?'

Section 4 support can be claimed by failed asylum seekers while they are trying to leave Britain if they are judged to be at risk of becoming 'destitute'.

Immigrants who are appealing against the decision to kick them out of the country are also eligible for the payments.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: 'The number of failed asylum seekers claiming and being granted asylum support has more than halved in the past three years - along with the cost to the taxpayer. 

'In some cases, destitute failed asylum seekers are unable to leave the UK immediately and can apply for support until their situation is resolved.

'The Home Office is clear that Section 4 support is limited, temporary and should not be capable of providing any incentive to remain in the UK.'

A report last week found that new contracts supposed to save £20million a year on housing for asylum seekers had cost £12million more than expected over its first 12 months.

The National Audit Office also revealed that one in 10 properties occupied by asylum seekers showed 'signs of wealth' such as electronic gadgets.

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