The British government will reportedly provide taxpayer-funded therapists for alleged asylum seekers who entered the country illegally.
The Home Office has commandeered the Cameron Barracks in Inverness, Scotland, to accommodate around 300 male asylum seekers as it seeks to transition away from the practice of block-booking hotels throughout the country to house illegals.
However, the Cameron Barracks plans have also sparked controversy after The Telegraph reported this week that the illegals set to be housed at the site will have their own dedicated therapists provided to them at taxpayer expense.
Highland councillors were told this week that having therapists provided at the site would mean that the illegals would not have to access local NHS services.
“Primary health care will be available on-site, including mental health support. Funding for these services will be provided by the Home Office to minimise impact on local GP surgeries and NHS resources,” they were told.
However, some have noted that this would effectively mean that illegal migrants would be given preferential treatment, given that people in the area often wait around five months before being able to see an NHS therapist.
Thomas Kerr, a spokesman for Reform UK, said: “The Cameron Barracks is simply the wrong location for a facility like this. Local people are rightly angry and demanding their voices be heard.
“To now learn that taxpayers will also be paying for mental health support for people who have come to this country illegally is a massive slap in the face.”
Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands region, Edward Mountain, commented: “Local residents who are already furious about this arrangement will be shocked to discover they will be footing the bill for these services to be provided to asylum seekers.
“That is particularly galling when many of those living in Inverness and the Highlands are finding it increasingly hard to access mental health services and other frontline public services in their community.”
In addition to being provided with taxpayer-funded therapy, the illegals will receive free accommodation, three meals per day, dental care, healthcare, and pocket money.
Private therapy typically costs between £40 to £100, however, it is currently unkown if the government will hire private therapists for the alleged asylum seekers or take therapists from NHS services in the area.
According to the Migration Observatory, the cost of operating the UK asylum system rose to £5.4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year, up from £538 million in the 2011/12 financial year.
As of September of last year, there were 36,273 supposed asylum seekers being housed in hotels across the UK, up from 35,628 at the same time in 2024. The numbers are likely to continue to increase with 41,472 illegals crossing the English Channel from France last year. The government has vowed to shut down the migrant hotel scheme down by 2029.
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