Asylum seekers to pay £10,000 towards living costs under new UK law

Asylum seekers will be ordered to pay about £10,000 to cover their state-funded living costs or be denied settled status in the UK under a new law to be considered by MPs on Tuesday. The means-tested scheme, compared by officials to student loans and included in the immigration and asylum bill, has been condemned by charities for placing a tax on refugees fleeing war, torture and famine. The amount of money raised will be “relatively small”, because less than 15% of refugees earn more than £20,000 five years after being granted asylum, an immigration expert said. Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has disclosed the plans, with Labour under intense pressure to reduce the £4bn spent each year on asylum accommodation and support. “Receiving asylum support is a right, but it is also a responsibility. Once people can contribute and repay the generosity of the British people, we expect them to do so,” she said. Asylum seekers are expected to have to repay a total of about £10,000, but the home secretary will be able to adjust the charge, the Home Office said. If deemed to have sufficient funds, a successful asylum seeker will be asked to hand over a flat rate charge. “Migrants will be required to pay off the full amount before being eligible for settlement,” the Home Office said. …