STORY
Asylum seekers could be required to pay £10,000 before applying to settle in the UK under new Home Office plans reported as part of Shabana Mahmood’s wider asylum reforms. The charge would apply as ministers seek to toughen the settlement route and recover some costs linked to state support.
The proposals form part of a broader effort to present a stricter approach to immigration and asylum. The Government has also been looking at faster returns, tighter checks and safe legal routes, while trying to respond to pressure over small boat crossings and wider public concern about the asylum system.
Refugee campaigners and critics have condemned the proposed charge, arguing that it would penalise people who have already been recognised as needing protection. Ministers are likely to face further scrutiny over whether the plans are workable, lawful and compatible with the Government’s wider claim to offer a controlled but humane asylum system.