The UK government has unveiled plans to require asylum seekers who find employment after being granted protection to repay up to £10,000 toward the cost of their accommodation and financial support.

The proposal forms part of the Immigration and Asylum Bill, which is due to be introduced to Parliament on Tuesday. Under the plan, individuals would need to repay the debt before becoming eligible for settled status, also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain.

The repayment scheme is expected to operate similarly to the student loan system, with monthly deductions beginning once a person’s income exceeds a threshold that has yet to be announced.

According to the Home Office, the standard repayment amount will initially be set at £10,000, although the Home Secretary will have the authority to adjust the figure. Those who leave the UK before repaying the debt would be required to settle the full amount if they later seek to return.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the measure is intended to reduce the financial burden of the asylum system while ensuring those who are able to contribute do so.

“We have already reduced asylum costs by £1 billion, but it is also right that we ask those who can contribute to do so,” Mahmood said, adding that asylum support is “a right, but it is also a responsibility.”

The government says the asylum system cost around £4 billion last year. Home Office figures show it costs an average of £23.25 per day to house an asylum seeker in dispersal accommodation and £144 per day in hotel accommodation, while weekly subsistence payments range from £9.95 to £49.18 per person.

The proposal has drawn mixed reactions. Migration experts have questioned how much revenue the scheme would generate, noting that many refugees enter low-paid employment. Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said the financial impact on public finances is likely to be limited because relatively few asylum seekers are expected to earn enough to make significant repayments.

She also warned the policy could discourage some refugees from accepting accommodation or seeking work if repayment obligations are perceived as too burdensome.

Human rights organisations have criticised the proposal, arguing it could hinder integration. Zoe Dexter of the Helen Bamber Foundation described the policy as unfair, saying many refugees arrive in the UK after fleeing conflict and persecution with few or no financial resources.

The announcement comes as the UK government continues efforts to reduce the use of hotels for asylum accommodation, with plans to expand the use of former military sites to house asylum seekers ahead of the next general election. Home Office data shows the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 2022.

Pakistan has set July 10 as the final deadline for undocumented Afghan nationals to leave the country, with authorities ordered to launch a nationwide crackdown on those who remain without legal status after the deadline expires.

The Ministry of Interior has instructed provincial governments, police chiefs and the Islamabad administration to strictly enforce the directive. From July 10, officials will begin operations targeting Afghan nationals living illegally in Pakistan, while anyone found without valid documentation faces arrest.

Starting July 11, provincial authorities will be required to submit daily reports to the Interior Ministry detailing the number of undocumented Afghans identified, the action taken against them, and their legal or custodial status.

The ministry has described the operation as a top priority and called for its immediate implementation across the country.

The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over security concerns. Pakistani authorities have repeatedly accused militant groups of using Afghan territory to stage attacks, allegations the Islamic Emirate administration has consistently denied.

Earlier this week, Pakistan said a suspected militant arrested after an attack on a Pakistan Rangers Sindh camp claimed to have entered the country from Afghanistan with three accomplices. In a recorded confession released by authorities, the suspect alleged links between the group and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, as well as support from individuals based in Afghanistan.

The Afghan government has not responded to the latest claims, and the allegations have not been independently verified.

At least 28 civilians were killed and 49 others injured in Pakistani airstrikes on three eastern Afghan provinces late Sunday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Monday, warning that the toll could rise as hospitals continue treating the wounded.

In a statement, UNAMA said the strikes hit Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces on the evening of June 28. Women and children were among those killed and injured, according to the UN mission.

The deadliest attack took place at around 11:30 p.m. in Chamkani district of Paktia province, where at least 22 civilians were killed and 47 others wounded.

Around the same time, a separate airstrike in Gyan district of neighboring Paktika province killed six civilians. A third strike in Marawara district of Kunar province injured two children.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting confirmed that Pakistani security forces had carried out airstrikes in the three Afghan provinces.

UNAMA said it is continuing to verify the incidents and emphasized that the casualty figures remain preliminary.

“The figures are preliminary and may increase as hospitals continue to treat the injured,” the mission said.

The UN mission renewed its call for all parties to comply with international humanitarian law, stressing the principles of precaution, distinction and proportionality to protect civilians during military operations.

UNAMA also expressed its condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

Meanwhile, the casualty figures released by the Islamic Emirate are higher. According to the Islamic Emirate, 36 civilians were killed and 163 others injured in the Pakistani military’s recent airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan.