Migrants who used the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to avoid deportation in 2025 will cost UK taxpayers an estimated £4.9 billion over their lifetimes, according to an internal Home Office analysis reported by the Daily Telegraph. The projection assumes an average lifetime cost of £141,000 per asylum seeker granted the right to remain in the UK under Article 8, which protects the right to a family life.
Nearly 35,000 individuals were granted the right to stay in the United Kingdom on these grounds in 2025. The calculated cost covers essential services such as healthcare, education, welfare, and pensions. This figure is notably close to the £5 billion the Chancellor Rachel Reeves had proposed cutting from the welfare budget but was forced to abandon due to opposition from Labour backbenchers.
The analysis, however, is considered an underestimate as it does not account for the fiscal impact of dependents associated with these individuals. The report explicitly states that the £4.9 billion figure should not be interpreted as the total fiscal cost for all individuals linked to Article 8 grants in 2025.
These findings emerge as the government plans to introduce new restrictions on the ability of foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers to use Article 8 to prevent their removal from the UK. Currently, individuals can argue that deportation would be unduly harsh if it separated them from their families or required them to relocate to an unfamiliar country. Controversial cases, such as that of an Albanian criminal who avoided deportation due to his son's dietary preferences, have previously highlighted these legal avenues.
The Conservative Party and Reform UK have pledged to withdraw from the ECHR if they win the next election, asserting that this step is necessary to regain full control over the UK's borders. In contrast, the Labour Party maintains that remaining within the ECHR is important. Andy Burnham, a prominent figure in the Labour party, is also expected to advocate for continued adherence to the ECHR.
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK's economy spokesman and former Conservative immigration minister, stated that the ECHR facilitates the presence of dangerous foreign criminals in the UK and incurs significant financial costs. He criticized the Conservative government's refusal to leave the ECHR, asserting that only a Reform government would implement the necessary changes to reform the immigration system.