Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has revealed a series of controversial local government expenditures on illegal migrants — including bills for fast food, Netflix subscriptions, and mini-golf outings — sparking a wave of criticism over what many see as a government prioritizing migrants over native-born citizens.
The revelations come as Reform’s Domestic Oversight for Government Efficiency (DOGE) team, launched earlier this year after Reform gained control of ten local councils, published its first report on public sector waste. The findings, which were shared with the Mail on Sunday, have ignited national debate over the handling and hidden costs of the UK’s asylum and immigration system.
According to the report, councils spent more than £118,000 on fast food for migrants through education and social services budgets, with purchases from chains like Domino’s, McDonald’s, and Pizza Express. Additionally, over £10,000 went to entertainment subscriptions, including Netflix and Disney+, while thousands more were used for leisure activities such as trips to safari parks, circuses, and even “crazy golf” outings.
Further analysis found Kent County Council alone spent £162,077 on Amazon purchases for migrants — including nearly 3,000 individual transactions — plus £70,056 at British retailers Argos and £11,521 at Currys.
Zia Yusuf, a businessman appointed by Farage to lead the DOGE initiative, slammed the findings: “It’s clear that those who came to the country illegally are enjoying better lifestyles than many of the taxpayers who fund all this,” Yusuf said. “Small boat migrants get a free life of leisure, while British families struggle to find the time and money to take their own families out.”
Migration Watch UK Chairman Alp Mehmet added that the report highlighted the “hidden costs” of an increasingly dysfunctional asylum system.
“Families are happy to pay for their children to come illegally because minors are accepted more readily and then looked after in the way that has been unearthed,” Mehmet said. “In due course the rest of the family will be able to join them.”
In response to the backlash, Kent County Council attempted to defend the expenditures, stating that most of the funds were used to support unaccompanied minors or young adult asylum seekers, typically aged 18–25, as they transition into independent living. Officials argue that some spending on leisure activities is part of safeguarding efforts for vulnerable children and young people in care.
Still, critics say the optics of taxpayer-funded Domino’s and day trips for migrants — while Britons face rising energy bills and cost-of-living pressures — will only deepen public frustration with the government’s handling of immigration.
Yusuf said the figures his team uncovered apply only to the ten councils controlled by Reform — meaning the true national cost is likely far higher.
At the national level, the financial burden is staggering. A study from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that housing asylum seekers alone costs British taxpayers £4.7 billion a year. In total, £5.38 billion was spent on asylum seekers in 2023/24 — a 36% increase from the previous year, setting a new record.
These figures have fueled growing support for Reform UK’s platform of immigration control, fiscal accountability, and a crackdown on taxpayer abuse. With local momentum building, Farage’s party is increasingly positioning itself as the voice of everyday Britons who feel neglected by the political establishment.
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