From presidential kidnappings in Venezuela to possible regime toppling in Iran to high-profile defections in Westminster, the new year has brought with it an exceedingly busy news cycle. One thing that is still in the news is, unfortunately, a continuation of a scandal of the previous few years: Britain’s continued spending on perks for illegal immigrants.
Migrant Help, a charity centred around providing financial support and advice for asylum seekers, has signed a £385 million deal with the Home Office. They continue to provide financial aid to migrants, “whether the decision [on asylum status] has been positive or negative.”
The charity has developed an app called ‘Just Good Work’ which allows asylum seekers to find jobs prior to any asylum decision being made. While the Home Office does allow migrants who have been waiting for an asylum decision for over 12 months to apply for work, there are obvious questions that should be asked about both Migrant Help as a charity and this app. Namely, if asylum is granted for those fleeing war or persecution, why do both market Britain as a place to earn a higher salary?
The app creates an obvious pull-factor and makes job seeking a lot easier for those that have arrived in our country illegally. The government can put out statement after statement and have Shabana Mahmood give weekly speeches on wanting to clamp down on illegal immigration but it all rings so hollow when the Home Office is making the lives of these illegal immigrants so much easier.
To make matters even worse, we uncovered yesterday a scheme that pays illegal migrants… even after they have been removed from the country. A new £1.8 million scheme will see those returning to Algeria or Sri Lanka be given aid as part of the Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme.
Labeled as ‘reintegration support’, the Home Office is seeking a partner to help deliver a whole host of perks for those returning to those countries including:
Airport reception provision for Returning IndividualsTemporary accommodation for up to 5 nights following arrivalTransportation to an onward destination in-country
So the Home Office will give illegal immigrants VIP airport treatment, a nice hotel stay and then pay for travel, even once they are back in their own country. To make matters even worse, as part of the Returnee Education and Entrepreneurship fund (REEF), some of this money will even go towards funding training, further education and business start-ups for deported illegal immigrants once back in their home country.
All of this speaks to what is so wrong with our illegal immigration system. The Home Office is simultaneously funding an app that allows illegal immigrants to find work even more easily while still funneling money to those who get removed. If we continue to market Britain as a land of taxpayer-funded perks for those who bypass our laws, we should not be surprised when the boats keep coming. The government must immediately review these contracts and ensure that not another penny of taxpayers’ money is spent on “reintegration” for those who shouldn’t have been here in the first place.