Overview

• Richmond council’s free “Richmond Card” grants asylum seekers access to five borough fitness centres for swimming, gym and group classes using Home Office letters as proof of status.
• Kingston council’s “Active Kingston” scheme allows asylum seekers half-price access to badminton, squash, tennis and group exercise alongside care workers and pensioners.
• Working residents in Richmond pay £52.50 per month and benefit recipients pay £30 for the same facilities, underscoring a stark fee disparity.
• Home Office plans target single adult male asylum seekers who refuse transfer orders by removing taxpayer-funded accommodation.
• Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle describes the policy as a “firm but fair approach” to prevent abuses of the asylum support system.