UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has launched a pilot scheme offering failed asylum-seeking families up to £40,000 to voluntarily leave the UK, or face forcible deportation. The government argues the £10,000-per-person payment is a cost-effective alternative to the approximately £158,000 required to house a family of three in migrant hotels for one year. Charities and opposition leaders have condemned the plan, warning that the seven-day ultimatum and the potential reintroduction of child detention will cause significant trauma to vulnerable minors. The move is part of a broader immigration overhaul that includes making refugee status temporary and doubling the pathway to permanent residency from five to 10 years.
Date: March 5, 2026. Source: independent.co.uk