Anger at £234bn cost of settling migrants in UK

TAXPAYERS could face a £234billion bill if around 800,000 migrants are allowed to settle in the UK indefinitely, research reveals.

- By David Williamson

A leading think-tank has calculated that more than two million visas were issued between January 2021 and June last year to those who will be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

The Centre for Policy Studies, which was co-founded by Margaret Thatcher, expects between 742,000 and 1,224,000 people will be granted the right to stay. If 801,000 do, it has calculated the net cost to the country will be the equivalent of £8,200 for every household in the UK over several decades.

In response, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: "The country simply can't afford the Labour Party's lax approach to immigration."