The United Kingdom's Home Office has paid nearly 9,000 Brazilian nationals up to £3,000 each to voluntarily return to their home country, according to reports.
These payments are part of the Voluntary Returns Service, an initiative designed to assist failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and individuals without the right to remain in the UK to return home. The scheme covered travel and living expenses for those who accepted the offer. In the past two years, 8,901 Brazilians have utilized this program. Across all nationalities, 20,365 migrants have accepted the incentive to leave Britain during the same period. Other nationalities accepting the scheme include 3,629 Indians, 746 Colombians, and 468 Hondurans.
However, the program appears to have had limited uptake among individuals arriving via small boats, with very few migrants from major source countries for such arrivals participating. For instance, only seven Eritreans, 11 Sudanese, 14 Afghans, three Somalis, and 77 Iranians accepted the assisted return offer.
The total cost of the voluntary returns scheme from July 2024 to March of the following year was £35 million, with sources suggesting the figure has since surpassed £40 million. This brings the average payout to approximately £1,964, though families and vulnerable individuals may receive up to £3,000. The 'golden goodbye' payments have reportedly increased significantly under the current administration compared to the final two years of the previous Conservative government.
Critics argue that the scheme is an ineffective and costly method of managing immigration. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp stated that Labour is "paying illegal immigrants to leave instead of stopping them arriving in the first place" and that the payments do not address the issue of Channel crossings. He also pointed out that the rate of return for those arriving in dinghies is only seven percent and that the Conservative Party would end the practice, enabling forced deportations.
The Home Office has expanded its return initiatives, including a pilot scheme offering failed asylum seekers and their families up to £40,000 to leave the UK. These offers require acceptance within seven days and the funds are expected to be provided on pre-paid debit cards once the individuals have departed, along with flights home.
Home Office sources contend that assisted voluntary returns are more cost-effective than forced removals, which can cost around £48,000 and require escorts for migrants. A Home Office spokesperson emphasized that encouraging voluntary returns is a better value for taxpayers, saving millions. The department reported a more than 50 percent increase in returns for individuals without the right to remain in the UK, with returns for small boat arrivals increasing by nearly 65 percent under the current government.