UK government faces unexpected £5.4B bill as asylum numbers keep growing
Latest data shows UK spending on asylum reached new heights this year with costs jumping to £5.4B. Hotel accommodation and support services created huge expenses while processing speeds improved
UK asylum expenses hit £5.4B this fiscal year which is three-times more than winter fuel allowance cuts (a program affecting about 10-million elderly citizens). The costs jumped 38% since last year‚ showing a five-fold increase since 2019
Hotel accommodation numbers grew by one-fifth reaching 35‚651 people in Sept 24‚ costing tax-payers roughly £4-million per day. The rise happened after Labour won elections and canceled the east-african deportation plan; however its still lower than Sept 23 peak of 56k people
The back-log of cases dropped to 97k (about 133k people) but appeals went up four-times to 33k. People who appeal still get £49.18 weekly plus housing. Small-boat crossings increased 20% this year reaching 33k - still below 2022s numbers
- Afghans
- Iranians
- Syrians
These three groups made 39% of all arrivals. Vietnamese became top arriving group in mid-24 with 1060 people. Yemen showed biggest rise - 231% up
Processing speed increased from 6k to 23k monthly cases in Sept 24. Forced returns grew 40% reaching 7‚7k while voluntary returns hit 23‚8k - highest since 16. Enver Solomon from Refugee Council noted improved decision-making but pointed out recent back-log growth
