Public Outrage Explodes as Petition to Cut Off Asylum Seeker Benefits Hits Jaw-Dropping Milestone

A petition calling for an end to all government support for asylum seekers in the UK has just smashed a major milestone, with over 350,000 people backing the proposal. The online petition, started by Bob Clements, is gaining serious traction and has now reached the level where Parliament must consider it for debate.

In the petition, Clements wrote, “This petition is to advocate a cessation of financial and other support provided to asylum seekers by the Government.” He argued that the current system, which offers shelter, food, healthcare including dental and optical care, and cash payments, could unintentionally be encouraging illegal migration, particularly across the English Channel, reported the Express.

Clements urged the Government to withdraw these support measures entirely. As of now, the petition has been live for six months and remains open for signatures until 20 July. With the number of backers continuing to climb, it has now passed the 100,000-signature threshold required to be considered for a debate in Parliament. However, it’s still waiting for both a debate date and an official Government response — something it should have received after hitting the 10,000 mark nine days ago.

According to Parliament’s rules, once a petition hits 10,000 signatures, it must receive a Government response, and if it reaches 100,000, it becomes eligible for debate. The delay has already prompted frustration among some who support the petition.

While the petition continues to divide opinion, new figures from the Home Office show just how much the UK is spending on asylum support. It plans to allocate around £2.2 billion from its foreign aid budget to support asylum seekers this financial year. Under international rules, governments are allowed to count the first-year costs of supporting refugees as part of their overseas development assistance.

Ministers say steps are already being taken to cut these costs. The Government claims it saved £500 million in asylum support last year alone and returned £200 million of this to the Treasury. There’s growing pressure to continue reducing costs and rework the system entirely.

Temporary accommodation continues to be one of the biggest drains. At the end of March, 32,345 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels across the UK — still a massive number, but down 15% from December’s total of 38,079. It’s also a slight improvement compared to the same time last year, when 34,530 people were being housed.

On the political side, Jo White, chairwoman of the Red Wall group of Labour MPs, added fuel to the fire during an appearance on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “We need to be looking at things like ECHR Article Eight. I don’t think anything’s off the table… including looking at new options such as processing abroad,” she said.

White admitted she’s growing increasingly impatient with the situation and made it clear she’s not alone. “I know my colleagues in Parliament are getting impatient and we’re pressing the Government as hard as we can on this.”

As public pressure mounts and the petition keeps climbing, all eyes are now on when — or if — the Government will properly respond.

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