UK Plans Free Housing and Job Support for Returning Illegal Immigrants

The government has introduced a £15 million plan to help migrants who were denied the right to stay in the UK. This plan includes offering temporary housing and assistance in finding a job when they return to their home countries.

The Home Office intends to provide this support in 11 countries, such as Albania, Iraq, Pakistan, and Vietnam, to speed up the process of sending people back. The support package will include cash aid, care and food supplies, five days of accommodation upon arrival, and job placement help, as outlined in documents shared online.

Additionally, returning migrants may receive help with getting new identification documents, as the government acknowledges that those without papers could face problems at security checkpoints.

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has committed to increasing the number of deportations, aiming to send back 14,500 people this year. The Labour Party has also pledged to tackle the human trafficking networks that contribute to illegal migration across the Channel.

This new approach follows the cancellation of the Conservative Party’s Rwanda scheme, leading to criticism that Labour lacks a clear plan to discourage illegal immigration to the UK.

The Home Office’s “Reintegration Programme,” detailed in a contract posted online on August 22, will run from April 2025 to March 2028, targeting countries like Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, and others.

A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has criticized overspending on the asylum system under the Conservative government and warned that Labour might repeat similar mistakes. Despite budgeting around £110 million for asylum operations each year from 2021 to 2024, the actual spending was much higher, averaging £2.6 billion annually.

The IFS report points out that poor budgeting by the Home Office and HM Treasury is at the core of recent disputes between Chancellor Rachel Reeves and her predecessor Jeremy Hunt. In 2024/25, asylum and illegal migration expenses were estimated at £6.4 billion, sparking disagreements over budget figures.

Since Labour took office, over 6,000 migrants have arrived in the UK by small boats crossing the Channel. Official data shows that 526 people made the crossing on Tuesday alone, bringing the total for the year to 19,820.

Yvette Cooper has vowed to significantly boost the number of deportations this year, while Labour’s plan to address the migration issue includes forming a new Border Security Command with expanded powers and seeking new agreements with other countries for returning migrants.

Recently, the number of migrants being granted indefinite stay in the UK has risen, while deportations have slowed. Data shows that more than 25,300 people who arrived by small boats were granted asylum or humanitarian protection in the year up to June, a significant increase from the previous year.

A Home Office spokesperson stated that the government plans to increase immigration enforcement and deportations to ensure that those without the right to stay in the UK are removed, and that international cooperation is vital to this mission.