Labour to give asylum-seekers in Wales taxpayers' cash to fight deportation

Labour ministers in Wales have announced plans that could see young asylum seekers in the country receive £1,600 a month and taxpayers' cash for legal aid to fight deportation.

The plan, which has been formally sent to Tory Justice Minister Lord Bellamy, is still in the development stage and would need Whitehall approval to go ahead.

Three Welsh Labour ministers - Jane Hutt, Julie Morgan and Mick Antoniw - are signatories of the letter, which demands that all migrants aged 18 and over should get universal basic income without being deprived of legal aid.

The UK Government spends around £6million a day accommodating migrants across the country in hotels, former military bases and barges.

Under the Welsh plan, the Government would provide migrants with both a wage and their lawyers' fees to stop them being deported.

The plan also says all migrants who are unaccompanied children to have access to the universal basic income scheme as soon as they turn 18.

The Welsh Labour government has already rolled out a pilot scheme for all those aged 18 who are leaving care to receive £1,600 every month for two years.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'Last year we spent around £30million on legal aid for asylum seekers and we will respond to the letter in due course.'