A petition to stop asylum seekers having almost £1 billion in benefits a month has hit a big milestone of more than 161,000 signatures.
The petition calls for a stop of “financial and other support for asylum seekers” which could now spark a debate in the House of Commons.
The petition reads, “This petition is to advocate a cessation of financial and other support provided to asylum seekers by the government. This support currently includes shelter, food, medical care (including optical and dental), and cash support.
I believe that such provisions may inadvertently incentivise illegal migration, particularly via the English Channel.
“This petition is to urge the Government to discontinue these support measures and payments.”
The petition has been ongoing for six months and ends on 20 June and the government responds to petitions that garners more than 10,000 signatures.
The webpage reads, “Waiting for 3 days for a Government response.”
The Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan, Harriet Cross, told the Commons on Monday, “New research shows that foreign nationals are claiming almost £1 billion in benefits each month. We now face the highest asylum claims ever recorded, up another 9% since Labour took office.
“Meanwhile, [the] 42,000 appeal backlog at the end of 2024 is projected to more than double to almost 100,000 by the end of this year and the Home Secretary herself has admitted to the media that her White Paper would cut immigration by just 50,000.
“This is utterly inadequate.”
She added, “Without real deterrence and stricter measures, the visa processing delays will only worsen, so will the minister commit today to two concrete measures – first, implementing the previous Conservatives’ £38,000 threshold and introducing a legally binding annual migration cap that actually delivers accountability?”
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