George Bunn – GB News Feb 4, 2025

Councils across Britain have spent £141million of taxpayers’ money since 2022 providing asylum seekers with PlayStations, DJ lessons and football match tickets, an investigation has revealed.

An audit by The Telegraph of 110 local authorities found newcomers in hotels were given game consoles and yoga classes paid for by the public purse.

Funding was also used to provide driving lessons, stadium tours and instruction in “circus skills” for refugees and asylum seekers.

The spending comes as many councils face severe budget pressures, with several proposing maximum council tax increases for next year.

The initiatives were funded through Home Office grants despite growing strain on public finances and a sharp rise in migrants being housed in hotels since Labour took power in July.

West Sussex Council spent £334 on PlayStation consoles and games for migrants in hotel accommodation, plus £496 for yoga sessions. Croydon council allocated £317,224 for extra services, including £6,900 for DJ skills training sessions.

The Labour-led Cardiff council provided circus skills and Tai Chi classes using Government funding. Bristol Council, which faces £53million in required savings, spent £270,389 of Home Office grants taking migrants to football matches.

Denbighshire council in Wales paid £550 for asylum seekers to tour Liverpool’s Anfield stadium. Several councils funded driving lessons, with Staffordshire County Council spending £18,000 on theory sessions and Bracknell Forest providing £300 worth of practical lessons for Afghan refugees.

Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe branded the spending a “disgrace” and called for an urgent review of the system.

“It is pure insanity. What message does this send to the millions looking to make the journey?” he told The Telegraph.

“No computer games, driving lessons, phones, laptops or whatever else. They should receive a one-way plane ticket,” he added.

He described the expenditure as “simply staggering” and questioned how it could be justified when the public is being asked to pay more.

William Yarwood from the TaxPayers’ Alliance said “taxpayers will be furious that councils seem more interested in buying PlayStations for asylum seekers than fixing potholes”.

“While Brits put up with crumbling roads and declining public services, they have every right to ask where their council’s priorities really lie,” he added.

The Home Office spent £5.4billion on settling new arrivals in 2023/24, a 38 per cent increase from the previous year. More than 20,000 people have arrived in small boats since Labour scrapped the Rwanda deportation scheme, adding to housing costs.

A record 52,739 people were granted asylum in the UK in the year to September 2024. The backlog of asylum claims fell 22 per cent to 97,170 cases, though appeals against rejections increased fourfold.

Migrants can receive £49.18 weekly support and accommodation while appealing decisions.

Over 150,000 people have arrived illegally on small boats since 2018, with new arrivals housed in taxpayer-funded hotels.

Net migration reached 728,000 in 2024, following 2023’s record-breaking influx of 906,000.

The Office of Budget Responsibility found low-skilled migrants remain a lifelong burden on public finances, taking out more than they contribute.

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