The UK government has unveiled plans to house thousands of asylum seekers in disused military bases, a move ministers say will save billions of pounds in hotel bills and discourage illegal immigration.
Housing illegal immigrants in hotels is costing British taxpayers £2.3 billion ($2.8 billion) a year, immigration minister Robert Jenrick told the House of Commons on Wednesday.
He said the government remains committed to its “legal obligations” to house the destitute but is “not prepared to go further.”
Britain’s Minister of State for Immigration Robert Jenrick leaves after a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in central London, on March 15, 2023. (Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images)
“Accommodation for migrants should meet their essential living needs and nothing more. Because we cannot risk becoming a magnet for the millions of people who are displaced and seeking better economic prospects,” he said….