Janice R. Andrews
There has been a lot of discussion about Labour’s new policy to give amnesty to illegal immigrants. A recent government report says that this could lead to an extra 44,000 people using the UK’s benefits system. This happened after the Conservative government got rid of its strict immigration rules that were meant to send back people who came to the UK illegally.
A government study shows that there are big costs
According to the government’s analysis, up to 70% of the 63,053 people who were supposed to be deported under the policies of the previous Conservative government may now be able to stay in the UK and get all of their benefits. People who are against this policy change say that it could cost British taxpayers an extra £17.8 billion over the lives of these refugees.
The “Duty to Remove” law, which was put in place by the previous Conservative government, was meant to send illegal immigrants back to their home countries or to Rwanda. This rule was mostly for people who came in small boats, which are becoming more and more common ways for refugees to cross the English Channel. But last month, Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, said that these rules would be thrown out because it would save the government £7 billion.
There have been claims of hidden costs.
The news that Cooper made has caused some debate. Some people say she is “hiding” how much the policy really costs and point to papers from the Home Office that show most of these claims could end up on welfare in the UK.
Along with Cooper’s statement, a “Impact Assessment” paper shows how the aid system might be impacted. It says that the large number of refugees could cause costs for Universal Credit to go up, as well as costs for housing, healthcare, and transportation. According to the report, up to half of the 126,106 illegal immigrants who have asked for refuge since March 2023 were subject to “Duty to Remove” laws. Up to 70% of these people, or 44,137 people, are now expected to be given asylum, which would let them get all of their welfare benefits.
Backlash from politicians
Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick was very critical of the policy. He said that Labour head Sir Keir Starmer was giving in to gangs that traffic people. “With an amnesty for illegal immigrants, Sir Keir has given in to the people-smuggling gangs.” It will be the British taxpayers who have to pay the huge price for his surrender, Jenrick said.
He also said that the choice would make problems in the UK worse, like longer wait times for doctor’s appointments, a lack of social housing, and more people trying to get into schools. “Instead of prioritising Brits, Labour is set to overwhelm local authorities with tens of thousands more illegal migrants they should have instead removed,” he said.
Costs Not Known
The Home Office’s report also talks about the problems that local governments will have dealing with the large number of migrants. This document says that helping refugee seekers in their own towns does cost money, but it doesn’t say how much exactly. The paper also talks about the costs of sending back failed refuge seekers, which will change based on whether the returns are voluntary or forced.
Conservative MP Nick Timothy was one of those who spoke out against the policy. He said, “These papers show what Labour’s immigration policy is really like.” Break the law to get into the country, and you can stay for good. He said the Home Secretary was hiding the fact that her own plans were more expensive while she talked about how much money would be saved by getting rid of the Rwanda plan. Timothy thought that it could cost governments £17.8 billion over the course of their lives if all 44,000 refugee seekers got benefits.
What Labour Did
When the strategy was criticized, a Labour spokesperson supported it by saying that the previous Conservative method could not be kept up. “When the Tories were in power, everyone who came here, no matter what country they were from, stayed permanently in places paid for by taxpayers, like asylum hotels, with no chance of being sent back.” “This would have cost us £30–40 billion, which is double our budget for police,” the source said.
Labour said that the record backlog of over 220,000 refugee cases showed that the Conservative government wasn’t handling the problem well. They say that their policy is needed to stop the problem from getting worse and to lower the long-term costs of living and helping asylum seekers.
As the immigration debate rages on, the effect that Labour’s amnesty policy might have on the UK’s welfare system is still a hot topic. Both sides are getting ready for more political fights.
