Charities fighting government efforts to control UK borders are receiving millions of pounds a year in taxpayers’ money, a Mail investigation has revealed.
Former home secretary Priti Patel last night demanded a review into charity funding following our discovery that many groups challenging Rishi Sunak’s flagship immigration policies are paid huge sums in government grants and contracts.
MPs warned that charities were being ‘propped up’ financially by the Government while simultaneously staging politically inspired campaigns and legal action against its policies.
The review was called for as Orlando Fraser, head of the Charity Commission, ordered them to stay out of politics.
His warning was triggered by concern that some charities had overstepped the mark when criticising government plans to send illegal migrants to Rwanda.
Former home secretary Priti Patel last night demanded a review into charity funding
Mr Fraser said they were ‘not political parties’ and should not focus on ‘trashing’ the motivation of those who think differently or allow their leaders’ personal views to dictate their public positions.
Our revelations show one organisation spearheading a controversial national campaign to halt the flights to Rwanda received £30 million from public funds last year to run its operations.
Another that ‘supports refugee clients’ was handed £7 million in government grants and contracts despite openly opposing it over the Rwanda flights and the new stricter Borders Bill being championed by Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
Both charities were among more than 150 signatories of an open letter to ministers last year, condemning their plans to control immigration.
Charity Commission documents examined by the Mail show that 42 of the organisations behind the letter shared £50,872,437 of taxpayers’ money – including cash from central Government, local councils and the NHS – in the year up to March 2022.
A key recipient was Migrant Helpline, also known as Migrant Help. Described on the commission’s website as spending its money on the relief of refugees, it got £30 million in taxpayer-funded contracts and £1,434,000 in grants last year.
Its website issued a statement last month criticising the new Illegal Migration Bill.
Another big beneficiary is the Refugee Council, which received £7,145,000 in grants and £383,000 in contracts from public funds last year.
Another charity that ‘supports refugee clients’ was handed £7 million in government grants and contracts despite openly opposing it over the Rwanda flights
A charity was handed £7 million in government grants and contracts despite openly opposing it over the Rwanda flights and the new stricter Borders Bill championed by Suella Braverman
Yet the charity’s chief Enver Solomon is openly hostile to the Tories’ migration policies, describing them this week as a ‘draconian form of performative cruelty that will lead only to yet more chaos, cost and human misery’.
Others signing the letter slamming the Government while receiving public funds include the Medaille Trust, providing safe housing for trafficked refugees (£3,092,608); Stonewall, supporting LGBTQ migrants (£426,390); and Asylum Welcome, operating from Oxfordshire for vulnerable migrants facing legal problems (£474,953).
Ms Patel said: ‘Hard-pressed taxpayers, keen to see our borders controlled and illegal migration stopped, will be shocked to see their taxes being spent in this way. A review is needed of the funds going into these charities whose political activity and campaigning are undermining our national interests.’
Former Cabinet minister David Jones added: ‘Charities should not be tempted to stray into the political arena… This conduct is even more deplorable when public money is being used to campaign against decisions of the democratically elected Government.’
Fellow Tory MP Tim Loughton, who sits on the home affairs committee, said: ‘Many refugee charities do good work supporting vulnerable refugees genuinely escaping danger and needing support.
‘But it is difficult to see how they can justify spending public money on mounting legal challenges to frustrate government measures to clamp down on bogus asylum seekers who, in turn, are funding organised crime by attempting to enter the UK in the most inappropriate manner.’
Rachael Orr, chairman of trustees at the Refugee Council, said: ‘Like many charities, one of our primary purposes is to advocate for our beneficiaries – refugees and people seeking asylum.
Fellow Tory MP Tim Loughton said: ‘Many refugee charities do good work supporting vulnerable refugees genuinely escaping danger and needing support’
‘We use our expertise and knowledge gained from the delivery of our services to constructively engage and challenge the Government to take action to improve the lives of refugees which is in line with our charitable objects and purpose.’
The Refugee Council said that in 2021-22 it received £2.2 million from central government, £4 million from sources such as local authorities and the NHS, and £1.6 million from a European Union fund.
Migrant Helpline said: ‘As a charity that has worked with displaced people for 60 years, we have a duty to make our views clear on proposed government policy, before it is implemented.’ Stonewall, the Medaille Trust and Asylum Welcome were contacted for comment.
