UK Taxpayers Foot £4M Bill for Migrants’ Free Clothes—Now They’re Being Asked to Pay It Back Because
New data shows that British taxpayers are spending thousands of pounds every day to provide clothes and shoes for illegal migrants arriving in the UK. These migrants, mostly men crossing the Channel, are given free clothing like warm coats, hats, gloves, and flip-flops. This costs £3,000 daily, adding up to £4 million over the last three years.
The clothes are stored in a large warehouse near the coast, described as being as big as a Matalan or M&S store, with changing rooms for trying on clothes. The Home Office says this is necessary because the migrants’ clothes are often soaked in seawater or fuel, posing health and safety risks.
Some migrants are also given free mobile phones to stay in touch with immigration officials, though the Home Office says this is rare and hasn’t provided cost details.
In response to these expenses, there are calls for asylum seekers to repay taxpayers if they are granted refugee status. About two-thirds of Channel migrants who arrived in the year ending September 2024 were given refugee status.
Tony Smith, a former Border Force director, said: “If they are allowed to stay and work, they should repay the investment made in them, similar to how students repay loans for university.”
Between 2022 and October 2024, clothing for migrants cost taxpayers £3.7 million, averaging £35 per migrant. In 2022, when a record 45,755 migrants arrived, the cost was over £2 million. In 2023, with fewer arrivals, the cost dropped to £959,327.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the spending, saying: “Illegal immigrants crossing the Channel are breaking our laws and shouldn’t be getting free clothes or hotel stays, which cost billions yearly. France is safe and has a functioning asylum system.”
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, added: “Taxpayers shouldn’t pay for new clothes. If charities like Care for Calais care so much, they can provide clothing through donations.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We aim to stop dangerous small boat crossings, which risk lives and weaken border security. Tackling people-smuggling gangs will save lives and reduce these costs.”
