Do you want to hazard a guess at what this “jaw-dropping” list of freebies included? What luxuries asylum seekers might be being given “for free” in Thetford? Xboxes? Plasma TVs? iPhones? Ferraris? Let's take a look👀 🧵 1/22
"When the Daily Express visited the house on Friday, a wheelie bin by the front door was filled with empty cardboard boxes and a list of items a neighbour claimed had been given to the occupants for free." So what was on this list? 2/ Well, here is the wheelie bin and the list in question👇 3/
Some beading Some towels One frying pan One saucepan One plate, bowl, mug, glass, knife, fork, spoon and teaspoon One roll of toilet paper The absolute bare minimum required to cook, eat, sleep and stay clean. 4/
Those photos come direct from the supplier's website Apart from the toilet roll!🧻 No photo of the saucepan and frying pan as they normally come as part of a bigger kitchen pack. These asylum seekers weren't given those. 5/ The box was supplied by Thomas Kneale and Co, who also supply: ⚫️ Prisons ⚫️ University accommodation ⚫️ Hospitals ⚫️ Military and Marine ⚫️ Immigration centres ⚫️ Social Housing 6/
Yes, this sort of pack is also generally provided when homeless people are set up with a house to help with the transition. And yes, Thomas Kneale supplies some social housing too. 7/
Asylum seekers are not allowed to earn any money, have no choice where they live and are expected to support, feed and entertain themselves for months and maybe years on £49.18 per week. Government-provided accommodation must supply: 8/
This is hardly "jaw-dropping" stuff! Providing the bare minimum for someone to be able to feed and keep themselves clean and sheltered shouldn't be seen by anyone as some sort of luxury. Especially for those who are unable, by law, to support themselves through work 9/ “But what about British people…?” Support offered to Asylum seekers is far less than support offered to British citizens. 10/ For example, a 24-year-old with no family, out of work with no sickness or disability, living near Thetford would be entitled to £98.05 per week in Universal Credit, as well as housing support from the council. Double the weekly cash take-home compared to an Asylum seeker. 11/ "But what about hotels...?" Around 135,000 homeless households in the UK are also given temporary accommodation in hotels and B&Bs. Compared to the 20,000 asylum seekers similarly housed. 12/
"But why are they given houses...?" When asylum seekers are moved out of hotels and into other forms of temporary accommodation, such as the homes in Thetford, it is important to note that they aren’t being “given” a house. 13/ These are just temporary places to stay while their asylum claims are processed. If and when they get granted refugee status, they will have 42 days in which to find a job and their own accommodation. As covered recently👇 monkdebunks.substack.com 14/
When the Daily Mail pulled together a list of "perks" available to asylum seekers last year, I found the overwhelming majority of them were also available to British people who are struggling 👇 monkdebunks.substack.com 15/
British veterans do not lose homes to asylum seekers.👇 monkdebunks.substack.com They are both supported by the State when needed. 16/
Asylum seekers don’t receive support INSTEAD of struggling British people. They receive support ALONGSIDE struggling British families. And yet the media routinely pit them against each other. 17/
And yes, far more support could be given to all those in our society who are struggling But the same media and commentators who suggest that asylum seekers are somehow responsible for struggling British families are also very quick to denigrate those claiming benefits as “scroungers”🤷♀️ 18/
So yes, there was a list on a box in a wheelie bin of some essentials that had been provided for the asylum seekers who had been moved there temporarily while their claims were processed. Was it jaw-dropping? Well, it really shouldn't be to anyone with an ounce of common sense! 19/
When you see a headline clearly designed to make you angry about what AS are being “given” Read the article rationally Ask yourself: Does it seem reasonable in their circumstances? What support is available to non-asylum seekers in the same situation? 20/ Therefore, is this really a “perk” of being an asylum seeker? Or simply the bare minimum of support needed to keep someone sheltered and alive while they are not allowed to work? 21/ More detail and all the links are in this week's Substack👇 monkdebunks.substack.com It's free 👍🏻 However, paid subscriptions and coffee (or tea in my case!) donations (buymeacoffee.com) really help 😜 22/22