ghvb Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has uncovered wasteful spending by local councils, revealing that illegal migrants are receiving taxpayer-funded perks including fast food, streaming services, and leisure outings. The revelations have sparked backlash, with critics claiming the government is prioritizing illegal migrants over struggling British families.
Reform UK, after winning control of ten councils earlier this year, launched a government efficiency program modeled after Trump-era U.S. efforts and Elon Musk’s corporate cost-cutting. Their audit exposed over £118,000 in spending on takeaway food from chains such as McDonald’s, Domino’s, and Pizza Express—largely paid for through education budgets.
Additional expenses include more than £10,000 spent on Netflix and Disney+ subscriptions and thousands more on outings like circus trips, safari parks, and crazy golf. Kent County Council alone spent £162,077 on Amazon for goods tied to asylum seekers, along with £70,056 at Argos and £11,521 at Curry’s.
Zia Yusuf, who leads the Reform UK’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) team, said: “It’s clear that those who came to the country illegally are enjoying better lifestyles than many of the taxpayers who fund all this. Small boat migrants get a free life of leisure, while British families struggle to find the time and money to take their own families out.”
Migration Watch UK chairman Alp Mehmet echoed concerns, calling the findings a stark example of the hidden costs of mass migration. He warned that illegal entry is incentivized, particularly by favorable treatment for minors, who often pave the way for wider family reunification.
Kent County Council defended its spending, claiming most funds supported unaccompanied migrant children or young adult asylum seekers setting up in the UK. Still, Reform UK emphasized that their figures only reflect spending in the councils they control, suggesting national totals are likely far higher.
At the national level, the cost of housing tens of thousands of asylum seekers has surged. The Institute for Public Policy Research reports the UK spent a record £5.38 billion on asylum in 2023/24—up 36% from the previous year, with £4.7 billion directed at migrant housing alone.
