British taxpayers face a £90 million bill to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers between European countries in a scheme that David Cameron said could encourage more people to risk their lives travelling to the continent.
The prime minister has repeatedly said that Britain had opted out of emergency compulsory quotas that will distribute refugees around EU nations. The scheme was formally announced yesterday by Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president.
Downing Street said last night, however, that British taxpayers would still end up footing part of the bill. Britain is exempted because of longstanding European treaty opt-outs from EU asylum policy, but the government is required to pay the bills.
The refugees chosen for “relocation” will be from Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea and countries taking them