People granted asylum in Britain could have to repay the government about £10,000, roughly more than $13,000, for accommodation and basic living support before they can become eligible to apply for settlement, officials announced on Monday.This comes as immigration has become one of the most important issues in British politics, consistently ranking among voters' top concerns in polling.Under the proposed rules, the government says repayments would be means-tested and limited to adults above an income threshold.Officials say safeguards would be included to prevent people from being pushed into extreme poverty, though key details of the threshold and enforcement mechanism have not yet been published.FARAGE SAYS MASS MIGRATION HAS CHANGED THE UK ‘LITERALLY BEYOND RECOGNITION,’ BELIEVES PARTY CAN WIN ELECTIONAsylum seekers in Britain could have to repay the government more than $13,000 before they can become eligible to apply for settlement.
(Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)The rules would not be applied retrospectively and children would not be subject to the payments."Receiving asylum support is a right, but it is also a responsibility," Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said."Once people can contribute and repay the generosity of the British people, we expect them to do so."Mahmood explained that her latest reforms aim to reduce the burden on taxpayers' wallets.The government would only charge adults who can afford to pay.
(Geography Photos/Universal Images Group)The Home Office also said over the weekend that it aims to remove 45,000 more people with no legal right to remain and foreign criminals within the next decade, in addition to the tens of thousands already being removed on a yearly basis.The center-left Labour Party has increased efforts to curb both legal and illegal immigration as it seeks to counter the rising popularity of Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, which has vowed to deport up to 600,000 asylum seekers and other people whose claims or appeals have fa...