The cost of detaining and accommodating immigrants in the UK could reach £9.6 billion.

 According to a refugee charity, the cost of detaining and accommodating people under the Government's contentious plans to address Channel crossings could exceed £9 billion in the first three years. According to the Refugee Council, more than 250,000 people, including up to 45,000 children, could have their asylum claims deemed inadmissible under the Illegal Migration Bill during that time. The estimates were developed by the charity's policy experts as part of an impact assessment of the Bill's first three years, assuming it goes into effect on November 7, six months after it was introduced in Parliament. It bases its calculations on the Home Office's ability to deport 10,000 people to Rwanda in each of the three years, detaining people for an average of 28 days and accommodating those who are not detained. The Refugee Council assessment said: "In the first three years of the legislation coming into effect, between 225,347 and 257,101 people will have their asylum claims deemed inadmissible. This number ranges between 39,500 and 45,066 children. "By the end of the third year, between 161,147 and 192,670 people will have had their asylum claims deemed inadmissible but will not have been removed. They will be unable to process their asylum claims, will be unable to work, and will be reliant on Home Office assistance and housing indefinitely. "In total, between £8.7 billion and £9.6 billion will have been spent in the first three years of the Bill's operation on detaining and accommodating people affected by the Bill." 

According to the charity, it used a variety of data sources and assumptions, including that 88% of people who cross the Channel in a small boat each year apply for asylum and that detaining someone costs £120.42 per day. It stated that its lower estimates assume that 50% of people will be detained under the Bill, while its upper estimates assume that 100% will be detained. The organization noted that the Home Office does not publish data on how many people who apply for asylum arrive irregularly other than by boat, and that its figures are based on existing data from reports by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration. Estimates are likely to remain conservative "based on our experience at the Refugee Council working with people who arrive in the UK," it said. The Bill aims to prevent people from claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive illegally, but it has been condemned by the UN's refugee agency as an effective "asylum ban." 

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, repeated his criticism of what he called the "draconian legislation" and said "stains our country's reputation for fairness in the face of adversity". "All the evidence shows that the vast majority of those who come here via so-called irregular routes are refugees fleeing bombs and bullets, violence and persecution," he said. "They take these dangerous journeys as no workable alternatives exist for them - unlike Ukrainians who were rightly able to come to the UK on a visa scheme. The current asylum system, according to the government, costs £3 billion per year, including around £6 million per day for hotel accommodations. "We do not recognize the figures used in this report," a Home Office spokesman said in response to the Refugee Council's analysis. When it becomes law, the Illegal Migration Bill is intended to act as a deterrent and significantly reduce illegal migration. "The UK has a proud history of supporting those in need through our safe and legal routes, offering protection to almost half a million men, women and children. "We do not recognize the figures used in this report," a Home Office spokesman said in response to the Refugee Council's analysis. When it becomes law, the Illegal Migration Bill is intended to act as a deterrent and significantly reduce illegal migration. 

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