More than £6 billion has been spent on asylum and refugee costs in Britain since 2020, according to Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe. This includes £800,000 on furniture and £634,182 on a contract to "Support Migrants Currently Living in the Community Who Do Not Have Permission to Live in the UK".
Lowe claims that there has also been a £2,500,000 contract for an "Electronic Market Place for Kirklees Welcomes Assisting Vulnerable Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees". He believes that this spending is excessive and that a British version of the new United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is needed to uncover and address such expenditures.
Lowe's claims come after a report by the Telegraph revealed that asylum seekers and refugees are being provided with yoga classes, circus classes, tickets to sports matches, and PlayStations, using public money. Conservative-run West Sussex Council spent over £800 on yoga sessions and PlayStation consoles and games for asylum seekers.
Lowe criticized local authorities for this spending, stating that it sends the wrong message to those looking to make the journey to the UK. He believes that asylum seekers and refugees should receive a one-way plane ticket instead of these amenities.
6 Comments
Leonardo
“Why invest so heavily in amenities when we could focus on direct integration or security savings? We need accountability.”
Michelangelo
“Using headlines like ‘yoga classes’ to demonize refugee assistance undermines the real issues of displacement.”
Raphael
“Instead of mocking support programs, we should be discussing how to help vulnerable people rebuild their lives.”
Donatello
“Criticizing small spending items while ignoring the underlying crises shows a lack of empathy for people fleeing war.”
Michelangelo
“It’s misleading to focus on a few expenditures without understanding the full context of humanitarian aid.”
Eugene Alta
“Sound bites like these create division. Real public policy is about supporting people in crisis, not taking potshots at services.”