In foreign aid rules set by the OECD, aid-donor countries can count the costs of assisting asylum seekers or refugees in their own countries for the 12 months following the date of their arrival as Official Development Assistance. Legitimate costs include accommodation, subsistence, health and education.
In the latest edition of the Government’s annual Statistics on International Development (SID) for 2021, it was revealed that almost 10% of the UK’s ODA budget was classed as spend on ‘Refugees in donor countries’, the single largest sector on which the UK spent aid that year. The Home Office share of the ODA budget increased by 74.3% from 2020 levels. Spending levels for 2022 are likely to be even higher following the arrival of Ukrainian refugees.
Meeting details
This raises concerns about the UK’s spending on aid overseas, particularly for communities in lower-income countries feeling the impact of conflict, climate change and covid-19. The primary objective of ODA is to promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries.
In this evidence session, the first of the Committee’s inquiry into Aid spending in the UK, two panels will explore the issues with the Committee’s Members. Representatives of organisations that offer support to refugees in the UK will appear on panel 1, to be followed by experts and commentators on the use of the aid budget.