Migrants have been paid over £53m to leave Britain

The UK has paid migrants more than 53m to leave the country over the past four years, The Independent can reveal.

- HOLLY BANCROFT ARCHIE MITCHELL

Under a voluntary return scheme run by the government, migrants can receive up to £3,000 as an incentive to return to their home country, as part of what are known as “assisted returns”. They also have their flights paid for as part of the deal.

Assisted returns have been on the rise in recent years, with 6,799 people travelling home this way in 2024 compared to 2,179 people in 2022. Between 2021 and 2024, 13,637 people have taken an assisted return, according to Home Office data.

In the UK, a person can qualify for this money if they are returning to a developing country, are a failed asylum seeker, are a confirmed victim of modern slavery, are sleeping rough or have a medical condition.

In 2024, over half of the foreign nationals who accepted assisted returns were from Brazil, with 3,573 taking up the offer. The second highest nationality was India, with 915 people returning in 2024, and then 271 going back to Honduras.

The Home Office insists the voluntary return scheme is a “much more cost-effective alternative for the taxpayer” than paying for accommodation and support for those facing deportation from the UK.

Charity Asylum Matters also said a properly-run system can be much cheaper than the “expensive cruelty of forced removals”, and can also result in “immeasurably better outcomes” for the asylum seekers.

But it called for bespoke support for migrants, with independent bodies funded to provide advice and tailored help to those returning overseas. In 2015, the government cancelled funding for independent advice for those considering a return.

Asylum Matters executive director Louise Calvey told