Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she is willing to consider “a big increase” in payments to failed asylum seekers to persuade them to leave the UK voluntarily.She told the BBC this was often “better value for money for the taxpayer” than the cost of people remaining in the country.Mahmood also defended her plans to start deporting families who have been rejected for asylum, even where this includes children.The proposals are part of a major overhaul of the UK’s asylum system, which was announced in Parliament this week and has attracted criticism from some Labour MPs and peers.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Mahmood was asked whether paying failed asylum seekers to leave was the right thing to do with taxpayers’ money.She argued looking after failed asylum seekers currently costs the taxpayer £30,000 per individual, per year, making cash payments “value for money”, even if sums increase past the current upper limit, understood to be £3,000.”I’ve already asked my officials to pilot a small programme where we offer more than we currently do, just to see how that changes behaviour,” she said. “I haven’t alighted on the full sums involved yet but I’m willing to consider a big increase on what we currently pay and that’s because… that’s often better value for money for the taxpayer.”I know it sticks in the craw of many people and they don’t like it but it’s value for money, it does work and a voluntary return is often the best way to get people to return to their home country as quickly as possible.”One aspect of the government’s plans which has proved controversial with some backbench Labour MPs is a change in attitude towards removing fami …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnHome Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she is willing to consider “a big increase” in payments to failed asylum seekers to persuade them to leave the UK voluntarily.She told the BBC this was often “better value for money for the taxpayer” than the cost of people remaining in the country.Mahmood also defended her plans to start deporting families who have been rejected for asylum, even where this includes children.The proposals are part of a major overhaul of the UK’s asylum system, which was announced in Parliament this week and has attracted criticism from some Labour MPs and peers.Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, Mahmood was asked whether paying failed asylum seekers to leave was the right thing to do with taxpayers’ money.She argued looking after failed asylum seekers currently costs the taxpayer £30,000 per individual, per year, making cash payments “value for money”, even if sums increase past the current upper limit, understood to be £3,000.”I’ve already asked my officials to pilot a small programme where we offer more than we currently do, just to see how that changes behaviour,” she said. “I haven’t alighted on the full sums involved yet but I’m willing to consider a big increase on what we currently pay and that’s because… that’s often better value for money for the taxpayer.”I know it sticks in the craw of many people and they don’t like it but it’s value for money, it does work and a voluntary return is often the best way to get people to return to their home country as quickly as possible.”One aspect of the government’s plans which has proved controversial with some backbench Labour MPs is a change in attitude towards removing fami …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
