Minister unable to confirm timeline for reducing aid spending on domestic asylum and refugee costs.
NGOs have warned of an alarming amount of UK aid continuing to be spent on issues at home, demanding ministers urgently clarify a timeline for this to end.
In 2023, the UK spent more than a quarter of the government’s aid budget in the UK on asylum seeker costs - amounting to £4.3billion.
On Tuesday, Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds gave evidence to Wesminster's International Development Committee on the development work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
During the session, the Minister announced there will be an uplift to the FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget of £200-300 million for 2024/25 pending parliamentary approval.
This is said to be due to a higher forecasted gross national income (GNI) and spending on domestic asylum and refugee costs being lower than anticipated.
Sir Philip Barton, Under-Secretary at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Nick Dyer, Second Permanent Under-Secretary at Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office also gave evidence.
However, the FCDO officials were unable to confirm the timeline and explain the specific details of the collaborative process with the Home Office to reduce spending of the UK aid budget on domestic asylum and refugee costs.
Gideon Rabinowitz, policy and advocacy director at Bond, the UK network for NGOs, said: “It's encouraging that cross departmental work to address the substantial amount of UK aid spent on asylum seekers and refugees in the UK has helped to secure a small uplift to planned UK aid spending this year.
“However, the lack of transparency on how the government intends to further reduce the amount of asylum and refugee support sourced from the UK aid budget and how progress will be monitored is alarming.
“Supporting asylum seekers is vital, but it requires its own budget. We urge the government to outline its timelines and milestones to reduce the amount of UK aid spent domestically on asylum and refugee costs.
“This is key to ensuring UK aid supports marginalised communities globally impacted by poverty, conflict and climate change.”
