Channel migrants under Labour will cost each taxpayer £635 more, Tories claim

Taxpayer Burden

The Tories have claimed that under a Labour government, each taxpayer will face an additional cost of £635 due to Channel migrants. Home Secretary James Cleverly highlighted that working families will bear the projected £11.6 billion annual cost of housing 185,000 asylum seekers.

Forecasted Figures

These figures stem from a 2023 Home Office impact assessment, which predicts a daily hotel bill of £32 million if the small boats crisis continues to escalate at its current rate.

Labour's Response

In response to these claims, Labour has refuted the accusations and emphasized that processing asylum claims would aid in clearing the backlog of cases stuck in government accommodation. The party argues that allowing small boat arrivals to launch a case for asylum would help reduce the overall cost. Currently, the grant rate stands at 65 per cent.

Political Back-and-Forth

Home Secretary James Cleverly criticized Labour leader Keir Starmer, stating, "Keir Starmer would stand on the cliffs of Dover to do a rain dance and hope that stops the boats." In contrast, a Labour spokeswoman dismissed the Tory claims as a "ludicrous lie" from a party that has "completely lost control of the asylum system."