The U.K. will be prevented from diverting billions from its aid budget to pay the domestic costs of asylum-seekers because of a new law cracking down on new arrivals, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, has indicated.
In 2022, the country spent £3.7 billion — making up 29% of its overseas development assistance budget — domestically, exploiting OECD rules that allow the allocation of refugees’ hotel and other bills as ODA for 12 months. This triggered fierce criticism from aid groups and experts.
But a new Illegal Migration Act, passed earlier in July, bans anyone arriving without permission from applying for asylum, allowing them to be detained and deported instead.
Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
