Episode description

Could Suella's new Illegal Immigration Act be about to backfire horribly on the Home Office?

Over the last year, money to house asylum seekers has come from the Department for International Aid. It's taken nearly 30 percent of their budget or just over £3.7billion.

But the introduction of the new law - which criminalises asylum seekers - means that the government is no longer allowed under OECD rules to spend Aid money on them.

Instead - the money looks like it may have to come from the Home office itself.

Yup - all the money this government would prefer to be spending on policing, anti-terror, fire services etc. Was this a big fat own goal? Or is the government prepared to break international rules to avoid the change?

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Planning Producer: Alex Barnett

Social Media Editor: Georgia Foxwell

Video Producer: Will Gibson-Smith

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The News Agents is a Global Player Original and a Persephonica Production.