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Asylum seekers to pay £10,000 before settlement in UK

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The UK government has introduced legislation that would require some asylum seekers to repay the cost of the support they received before becoming eligible for settlement, a move expected to see affected individuals pay up to £10,000 (about N18 million) where they have the financial means.

The proposed reforms, contained in a bill introduced to Parliament on Tuesday, grant the Home Office new powers to recover the costs of asylum support, including accommodation and subsistence payments, from adults who previously received such assistance and later acquire sufficient financial resources.

Under the proposed rules, repayment would become a condition for settlement for eligible individuals. The measures would also apply to former asylum seekers who leave the UK and later seek to return. The Home Office said the policy is intended to reduce the financial burden of the asylum system on taxpayers by ensuring those who can afford to contribute repay part of the public support they received.

“The cost of asylum accommodation on the British taxpayer is too high,” the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said. “We have already reduced asylum costs by £1 billion, but it is also right that we ask those who can contribute to do so. Receiving asylum support is a right, but it is also a responsibility. Once people can contribute and repay the generosity of the British people, we expect them to do so.”

According to Home Office estimates, the average cost of accommodating an asylum seeker is £23.25 per person per night in dispersal accommodation and £144 per night in hotels. Weekly subsistence payments range from £9.95 to £49.18 per person.

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Government figures also show that around 25 per cent of people aged 16 to 64 granted asylum between 2015 and 2023 entered employment within the same calendar year they received refugee status. The figure rises to 50 per cent two years after asylum is granted.

Among those employed eight years after being granted refugee status, 37 per cent were in full-time work with median annual earnings of £23,000, while 40 per cent earned above the national minimum wage. The Home Office said the proposed reforms are designed to ensure asylum recipients who are financially able take responsibility for the public costs associated with their stay in the UK.

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PHOTOS: NESREA Investigates Suspected Chemical Spill On Kaduna-Abuja Expressway

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The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has launched an investigation into a suspected chemical spill on the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway following the appearance of a white, foamy substance believed to have resulted from a road accident involving a heavy-duty truck.

A statement issued by the agency’s Assistant Director (Press), Nwamaka Ejiofor, said a team from the NESREA Kaduna State Field Office, led by the State Coordinator, Mr. Hena Dangari Emmanuel, visited the scene to commence investigations.

During the visit, the team met with the Police Commander for Jere, ACP Sani Zubairu, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Commander for the area, and the community leader as part of efforts to gather information on the incident.

According to the statement, “Preliminary findings indicate that a heavy-duty truck was involved in an accident leading to the spillage of its contents at the location.”

NESREA said investigators also gathered information from relevant officials and residents, while samples of the foamy substance, surrounding soil, and water from a nearby stream were collected for laboratory analysis to determine the nature and possible environmental impact of the spill.

The agency appealed to residents and road users to exercise caution pending the outcome of the investigation.

“Members of the public are strongly advised to avoid contact with the foamy substance, the water, and the surrounding soil until the investigation is concluded, to prevent possible exposure to hazardous materials,” the statement said.

NESREA said the laboratory analysis would help establish the composition of the spilled substance and guide any necessary environmental response, adding that further updates would be provided as investigations progress.

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MURIC Rejects Life Imprisonment For Terrorists, Advocates Capital Punishment

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‎The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the life sentence given to the two notorious terrorists jailed last week, insisting that terrorists must receive capital punishment in order to deter others.

‎In a statement issued by the executive director of the group, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Wednesday, MURIC averred that it was dangerous to keep terrorists in prison custody because of their deadly networks which they use to organize jailbreaks.

‎MURIC recalled that wo notorious terrorists were given life sentence on Monday, 20th July, 2026.
Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence after convicting Abubakar Abba, popularly known as Abu Baraa, and Mahmud Usman, also known as Mahmuda for terrorist activities.

However, the group rejected the judgment, saying, “We reject this judgement for being too lenient, too dangerous and too disproportionate.
“These are hardened and merciless criminals who should be eliminated with the speed of light. A good surgeon will not hesitate to amputate a rotten limb from the anatomy.

‎”We are of the opinion that terrorists who execute their captives, traumatize families as well as whole nations and subject their victims to inhuman treatments deserve capital punishment.
“It is dangerous to keep terrorists in prison custody temporarily or ad infinitum because of their deadly networks which they use to organize jailbreaks.

‎”They are no longer human beings. It is dangerous to keep them with other inmates if we don’t want them to convert ordinary prisoners into terrorists like them.

‎”It appears the Nigerian authorities are yet to learn their lessons. The terrorists who staged the kidnap of school children and teachers at Oriire, Oyo State recently had demanded the release of the same two terrorists who were sentenced two days ago as a condition for releasing their innocent victims.

‎”That should have sent a red alert to the authorities that terrorists are taking advantage of the democratic environment to abuse our values.
Those who rob others of the dividends of democracy do not deserve to enjoy same. Terrorists have no right to claims of fundamental human rights.

‎”We, therefore demand the death penalty for any terrorist found guilty of active participation in terror attacks.

‎”In view of several audacious attacks on prison facilities and the tendency of terrorists to plan attacks from prison, we also demand that terrorists sentenced to death must be executed within seven days of the judgement.

‎”The federal government should put all necessary legal niceties in place to ensure that due process is followed in this regard,” it added.

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PHOTOS: Woman burnt to de@th in the home of a man she met at a club in Uyo

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An unidentified woman was d!ed early Tuesday morning, July 21, after a fire gutted a residential building along Ikpa Road in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

According to accounts shared online by a social media user, Frank Tochukwu Fidelis, the victim had accompanied a male companion to the residence after the duo met at a local nightclub earlier in the night.

Reports indicate that the fire broke out at approximately 5:30 AM, destroying properties worth millions of Naira. While the male resident managed to escape the burning structure unharmed, the woman was trapped inside and suffered fatal burns.

‘’If you have a friend or relative who went clubbing in Uyo last night and has not returned home, please contact the appropriate authorities or visit the relevant hospital or police station for confirmed information, rather than relying solely on social media posts.” Tochukwu wrote in the caption

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