Small boat migrants could have to repay accommodation and benefits if they stay in UK

Labour's attempt to toughen up on immigration may include a "student loan" style repayment scheme for those that cross the Channel illegally. Amid mounting pressure tostop the boats as arrival figures reach record highs, illegal migrants may be forced to repay their accommodation and benefits costs if they are granted asylum. It was recently revealed that asylum accommodation contracts are set to triple from £4.5bn to £15.3bn between 2019 and 2029, according to the UK Home Affairs Committee.

In the report, the Committee accused the Home Office of presiding over "an increasingly expensive asylum accommodation system". It said: "This is the result of a series of failures by the Home Office in the design of the original contracts, and a manifest failure by the Home Office to grip the contracts and respond to increasing demand."

The report added: "The Home Office has undoubtedly been operating in an extremely challenging environment, but its chaotic response has demonstrated that it has not been up to the challenge."

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is now reportedly considering a payback scheme for the illegal migrants who have been granted asylum. The move will aim to act as a deterrent for crossings, as well as reducing the bill for the taxpayer.

Labour MP Jo White said the scheme would act like a "student loan repayment". She added that illegal migrants should be processed in the first safe country they enter, the Sun reports, which will put an end to the "horrendous sight" of them arriving on dinghies.

More than 32,059 migrants were being housed in hotels as of June this year. On Thursday, 621 migrants arrived on nine small boats from France after a two-week period of no crossings due to bad weather.

A Government spokesperson previously said: "Since taking office, we have taken immediate action to fix the asylum system and have started closing down hotels and returning more than 35,000 people with no right to be here.

"From over 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023, costing almost £9 million a day, there are now less than 210, and we want them all closed by the end of this Parliament.

"We will continue to work closely with community partners across the country, and discuss any concerns they have, as we look to fix this broken system together. The security of the local communities within which hotels are located will always be our paramount concern."