Each asylum claim lodged in Britain incurs an average cost of £18,700 for the taxpayer, according to figures released by the Home Office. This average cost encompasses the provision of accommodation and living expenses for asylum seekers, as well as the resources dedicated to processing claims and managing any subsequent legal appeals.
The figure, disclosed in background papers accompanying the new Immigration and Asylum Bill, is based on asylum claims made between July 2024 and June 2025. The data suggests that the 93,525 asylum claims submitted in the year leading up to March will collectively cost the taxpayer approximately £1.7 billion to resolve. In June alone, 2,742 arrivals via small boats are estimated to cost over £51 million for support and processing.
These costs extend to individuals who arrive legally on work or student visas and subsequently claim asylum to remain in the country, as well as Channel small boat arrivals housed in migrant hotels. The Home Office previously reported that the annual cost to support a family of asylum seekers can average £158,000.
The impact assessment published alongside the Bill also highlighted that a significant majority, 76 percent, of individuals making claims under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights for the right to family and private life were unemployed at the time of their application. This statistic includes both those with and without the right to work.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's proposals to address alleged abuse of Article 8 could potentially lead to an increase in asylum claims, according to the document. The papers state that an increase in refused Article 8 claims is likely to necessitate greater involvement from Immigration Enforcement for removals. However, the capacity for enforced removals is limited, and in 2022, only five percent of family and private life refusals resulted in enforced returns. The document notes that an increase in refusals might also lead to a rise in the number of people claiming asylum.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the government's proposals, describing them as "minor tweaks which will make no difference whatsoever in practice." He argued that previous attempts to refine Article 8 claims were ineffective and asserted that the only way to end illegal immigration is to withdraw from the ECHR and the modern slavery treaty entirely, which he claims would enable the deportation of all illegal immigrants within a week of arrival. He stated that only the Conservatives have a comprehensive plan to achieve this, labeling Labour's proposals as "performative gimmicks."