Today, the 50,000th illegal migrant since Labour took power a little over a year ago crossed the channel. The actual number since the election in June 2024 is 50,271 … in just 402 days. That’s the equivalent of 125 every single day. These aren’t just numbers. They’re people. Asylum seekers, yes, of course. Some will genuinely be fleeing persecution. But others will simply be economic migrants, in search of a better life. However, in entering this country the way they do, they are all illegal migrants.
The Romans had a phrase, “cui bono”. Literally translated from the original latin, it means, “who benefits?” or “who profits?” Now, it’s my opinion, and probably a matter of historical fact, that the Romans didn’t really have much of a problem with unchecked, illegal immigration in Rome. Quite the opposite, I suspect. Their empire may have been dwarfed that of Spain, France, Russia and Mongolia, not to mention our own British Empire (still the largest in history). But something tells me Julius Cesar wouldn’t have spent too much time obsessing over his net immigration metrics, or worrying he was going to fall foul of the European Convention on Human Rights. Quite the opposite.
Of course some of the main beneficiaries of the UK government’s policy on illegal migration are the migrants themselves (not to mention those who facilitate the crossings and charge thousands of dollars for the privilege). I have no doubt this is creating a huge pull factor for more to come. Just look at the benefits they get when they land. But it’s also contributing to the current and seemingly growing sense of unfairness and therefore unrest in the country.
Now I’ve heard, and to a degree accept, all the arguments that (controlled) immigration can benefit an economy. Immigrants do jobs us Brits don’t want to do, therefore drive economic growth and further contribute to the economy by paying taxes. It’s basic economics. Rachel from Accounts, I’m sure, would agree. However, none of that applies to the tens of thousands of illegal migrants who are currently unable to work whilst they wait for a decision on their asylum claim in taxpayer funded hotels or HMOs, of course. In P&L terms, those people are currently pure cost to UK PLC. Moonlighting for a fast food delivery company doesn’t count.
All of which made me wonder, who, beyond the migrants themselves, is benefiting from this situation. Well, here goes:
- Clearsprings Ready Homes are a major provider of asylum accommodation. In January 2023 they reported a doubling of profits to £62.5 million.
- Stay Belvedere Hotels provide “contingency bed spaces” for the Home Office. Recent profits have hit over £51m in a year, with one report suggesting the firm made £700 million a year from a government contract that was later ended due to “shortcomings”.
- Britannia Hotel is often blocked booked by the government for asylum seekers. In 2023 it reported profits of £29.3m and an increase in turnover of 31% to £154.7m.
- Mears and Serco are two other large companies providing asylum accommodation.
But it’s not just the people proving the accommodation who are benefiting. The privatisation of border management, surveillance, and detection has created a boom time for a number of other companies:
- Mitie Care and Custody was awarded over £50 million for managing short term holding facilities in the UK
- Galliford (a construction firm) received more than £170m for redeveloping detention facilities in the UK
- Bristow Group has a £1.96 billion contract for search and rescue operations related to small boat crossings.
With the number of people coming here in small boats showing no sign of decreasing any time soon, I suspect all that is just the tip of a very large and growing iceberg.
So, how’s your latin? Cui bono? Not you and I, that’s for sure.
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