According to official figures from the British Home Office, asylum seekers from some of the world’s richest and safest countries receive free accommodation and financial support while their applications are being processed.
As of March 2026, 75 Americans were living in government-funded accommodation (hotels or other temporary arrangements) after applying for asylum in the United Kingdom. In addition, around 150 EU citizens from countries including Sweden, France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, as well as smaller numbers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and similar nations, were receiving support – a total of 245 people from stable Western countries.
“Economic migrants shopping around”
These asylum seekers receive weekly support of around £49 for food, clothing, and other necessities. The scheme applies even though their applications have a very low approval rate; for American citizens, the reported figure is three per cent.
The data were obtained by Neil O’Brien, the Conservatives’ Shadow Minister for Political Renewal and Development. He considers it “surprising” that the government even considers asylum applications from these countries and, moreover, provides tax-funded accommodation:
– These people are presumably economic migrants shopping around. They probably originate from third countries and have already obtained citizenship in very rich and safe countries but now wish to come to the United Kingdom. You cannot credibly claim that the governments of Norway, Switzerland, or Sweden are threatening your life.
'Asylum seekers' from safe Western countries handed benefits and free housing in Britainhttps://t.co/dZjlp0cBnY
— Fred Alan Medforth (@FredMedforth) June 19, 2026
The fact that the asylum system does not distinguish between people fleeing famine and war and people from affluent countries and functioning states governed by the rule of law is described as a “system failure that affects ordinary Britons” – including through the housing crisis, pressure on welfare schemes, the healthcare system, and so forth.