Politics

Hundreds of Thousands Back Petition to Cut Off Asylum Seeker Benefits and It Could Now Be Debated in Parliament

Published on July 21, 2025

An online petition calling for asylum seeker benefits to be scrapped has exploded in support, racking up over 420,000 signatures and triggering a national debate. Started by campaigner Bob Clements, the petition argues that the current system of government support may be encouraging illegal migration, especially across the English Channel.

In his statement, Clements said: “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.”

He’s asking the Government to put a stop to all of it — from housing to healthcare and the small cash payments asylum seekers currently receive, according to the Express.

At the time of writing, 423,520 people have signed the petition, which easily clears the 100,000 threshold needed for it to be considered for debate in Parliament. That means MPs could soon be discussing the issue directly in the House of Commons, depending on what happens next.

In response, the Government acknowledged the strong support behind the campaign but made it clear that ending support overnight could create serious humanitarian consequences. A spokesperson said: “We are determined to tackle illegal migration and end the use of asylum hotels but in the meantime there is a legal requirement to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be living on the streets.

“We are grateful to everyone who took the time to sign this petition.”

They also stressed that while they understand the frustration, immediately ending the existing support could make the situation worse for everyone, not least the people affected directly.

“We have to recognise that – in many cases – the people currently receiving that support would end up living on the street instead, including many women and children.”

The Government pointed to official data from autumn 2024 showing there were already 4,667 rough sleepers in England, warning that pulling support from asylum seekers would likely send that number soaring.

“We believe a better approach is to continue speeding up the processing of asylum claims, so that people who are genuine refugees can be accepted, those who are not can be rejected and removed, and either way, we can keep working to cut the amount of money spent on asylum support.”

The issue of asylum seeker support has long been a flashpoint in public debate, but with this petition now gaining serious traction, it’s likely to fuel even more discussion over how the UK handles migration and support for those arriving to claim asylum.

With pressure mounting from both sides of the argument, this could be one of the key talking points for Parliament in the months ahead. Whether the petition leads to actual policy change remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain — it’s got the nation talking.

Don’t Miss These: