Asylum seekers could have jewellery or other valuables taken to pay for the costs of processing their cases, a Home Office minister has said, in another detail of changes to migration policy likely to cause concern among Labour MPs.
Speaking to broadcasters before the formal announcement of sweeping changes to asylum policy on Monday, the Home Office minister Alex Norris said while this would not involve seizing wedding rings, jewellery without sentimental value could be taken. The idea is another borrowed from Denmark’s tough approach to asylum by Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, in an attempt to reduce the number of refugees coming to the UK.
Norris defended the confiscation of valuables from refugees, telling Sky News: “At the moment, the British public pay billions of pounds a year so that those seeking asylum, or those who have already failed in their applications, can be supported in their accommodation and their living. It is right if those people have money in the bank, people have assets like cars, like e-bikes, they should be contributing. No, we’re not going to be taking people’s heirlooms off them at the border. But … people have cars. People have e-bikes. Those are assets they should contribute to the cost of benefits.”
Asked if jewellery without sentimental value could be taken, Norris said people should wait for Mahmood to set out the plans to the House of Commons on Monday afternoon. Pressed on whether the likes of wedding rings could be included, Norris said: “In the instance you’re talking about, no, of course not. If someone comes over with a bag full of gold rings, well, that’s different to what I said about the heirloom.”
Norris also confirmed that countries that refuse to take back asylum seeker nationals could face diplomatic sanctions such as restrictions on visas. Briefings to newspapers have identified Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as among possible targets. A Home Office source sought to clarify Norris’s comments, stating: “We will not seize items of jewellery at the border – we aren’t coming after anyone’s sentimental items of jewellery. But where people have a large number of high-value items, we would expect them to contribute to the cost of their accommodation.”
