24/7 Helpline Fields Minor Queries Amid Multi-Million Pound Contract
A dedicated helpline for migrants, funded by taxpayers to the tune of £120 million, is being used to handle trivial issues such as fixing kettles and complaints about food, an investigation has revealed. The service, operated by the charity Migrant Help, is available around the clock to individuals in asylum accommodation and is intended to report problems ranging from heating to NHS issues.
Operators at the call centre have reportedly been instructed to log every call concerning a broken item, regardless of how insignificant it may seem. This practice has drawn criticism as the charity, which has received £120 million in taxpayer funding since 2019, is part of a larger £4 billion Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility Service.
Past Failures and Rising Demand
The support service has faced serious allegations, having been accused on two separate occasions of failing to act before migrants it was assisting went on to commit murder, according to a report by The Sun. Furthermore, a Home Affairs Select Committee report stated that Migrant Help 'had not been able to meet demand'.
The government's contract with the charity is projected to be worth an estimated £235 million by 2029. A Home Office spokesperson commented on the arrangement, stating, 'This contract, along with its subsequent extension, was agreed under the previous government.' They added that all contracts are subject to review to ensure they 'deliver value for taxpayers'.
Channel Crossings and New Accommodation Plans
This scrutiny of the helpline comes as hundreds of small boat migrants arrived in Britain earlier this week, ending a two-week hiatus in Channel crossings. On November 6, Home Office Border Force vessels and an RNLI lifeboat made repeated trips to pick up boatloads of people, bringing at least 300 migrants to Dover. One individual was brought ashore on a stretcher while receiving medical care.
These arrivals were the first since October 22, following a 14-day period of high winds. The total number of arrivals for the year, not including the November 6 figures, stands at 36,954, marking a 17 per cent increase compared to the same point in 2024.
In response to the growing pressure to close expensive asylum hotels, plans have been drawn up to house small boat migrants in up to six military bases across the country. A list compiled by the Ministry of Defence includes sites in Norfolk, Wiltshire, Surrey, Cumbria, and Pembrokeshire. Defence sources confirmed that all these bases have been upgraded since 2020 and could accept migrants immediately.
A Home Office spokesman said: 'The government is furious about the number of illegal migrants in this country and in hotels. We will close every single asylum hotel – saving the taxpayer billions of pounds.'
