The UK government, led by the Labour Party, has announced the launch of a pilot program offering families of rejected asylum seekers up to £40,000 to voluntarily return to their countries of origin.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled the initiative during a speech at a left-liberal think tank. Under the pilot program, families are offered up to £10,000 per person (for a maximum of four family members), or up to £40,000 per family. Participants have seven days to accept the offer. If they refuse, the authorities are prepared to resort to forced deportation.
The program will initially cover approximately 150 families currently staying in taxpayer-funded hotels. The Home Office estimates that supporting an average family of three in this system costs approximately £158,000 per year. If successful, the pilot could save the budget between £20 million and £27 million.
The scheme expands on the existing assisted voluntary return program, which provides single asylum seekers with up to £3,000. The new measure is targeted specifically at families with children and is intended to accelerate the process of reducing the number of people in the country without legal status.
“We must be more Labour-like: tough but fair,” Mahmood said, emphasizing that the policy is aimed at restoring control over migration and reducing the burden on the refugee system.
The pilot project will be part of a broader package of immigration reforms that Labour will implement from 2025, including tightening permanent residence rules and accelerating returns. The program’s results are expected to be announced after its first months of operation.