This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
THE government has faced fresh calls to tax the super-rich to tackle global inequality after new figures showed it is still diverting a large chunk of foreign aid to cover asylum-seeker costs at home.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) published provisional statistics on how aid funds were spent last year.
It reported that UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending was £14 billion (0.5 per cent of gross national income), compared to £15.3bn (0.58 per cent GNI), the year before.
Spending on support for refugees and asylum-seekers in Britain decreased by a third from £4.2bn in 2023 to £2.8bn but still accounted for 20 per cent of spending.
With Labour announcing plans to slash the aid budget from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent by 2027 to increase defence spending, campaigners have raised concerns that this will leave limited funds for supporting communities globally.
Oxfam head of policy Helen Stawski said: “Today’s figures highlight how much Britain has already diminished its international development efforts — even prior to the recent brutal cuts to the UK aid budget — with 20 per cent raided by the Home Office and spent here in the UK on refugee costs.
“If the government continues to spend this volume of aid in the UK, once the aid budget has been slashed further, there will be little left to spend on what it’s intended for — communities around the world facing increasing conflict, poverty and climate disasters.
“Instead of cutting crucial lifelines when they are needed most, the government must urgently reverse the cuts and start taxing the super-rich to help pay for the fight against poverty and inequality.”
A government spokesperson said:“The UK’s support to tackle humanitarian crises rose by 60 per cent in 2024 as we provided vital aid to vulnerable people around the world, including in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza.
“The aid spent in the UK on refugee and asylum costs fell by a third last year and we are working to bring it down further as we continue to deliver on our election promise to slash asylum costs.”
