A charity set to snatch a staggering £385 million from the Home Office by 2029 is sparking fury with a flashy new app selling Britain as a migrant paradise. The “Just Good Work” app pitches the UK as “a beautiful country with great transport links” and “relatively high minimum wage,” igniting backlash from Tory heavyweights Chris Philp and Lee Anderson, who accuse Labour of waving a neon welcome sign and wrecking border controls.
The ‘Just Good Work’ App: A Migrant Magnet?
Migrant Help, flush with government cash, has teamed with Fifty-Eight Global to launch the Just Good Work app. Aimed at asylum seekers—including Channel boat arrivals and refugees—it doubles as a job finder and recruitment tool. The app paints a glowing picture of the UK, highlighting easy travel, decent wages, paid holidays, and a friendly workforce environment.
It even dishes out cultural lessons, like British queuing etiquette: “It is considered very rude to push your way to the front.” Plus, it advises migrants to avoid “less diverse” rural areas, steering them instead towards cities bursting with jobs in finance, tech, and healthcare.
Tory Politicians Slam Labour’s ‘Welcome Mat’
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp tore into the scheme: “The Home Office should not fund or endorse anything marketing Britain as a place to live and work while people are still in the asylum system.” He warned it undermines efforts to stop illegal crossings. “Deterrence only works if illegal arrival has real consequences, not state-backed help to put down roots.”
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson was scathing: “This app exposes Labour’s lies about smashing gangs. Instead of stopping illegal crossings, they’re tossing hundreds of millions of taxpayer pounds into flashing a neon welcome sign to illegal migrants.”
Funding Confusion Fuels Fury
The Home Office has delivered contradictory messages about the app’s funding. Officials said in September 2023 they “continue to fund projects” including this app. Yet more recently, a spokesperson insisted, “The Home Office does not fund this app and has no involvement in its content.”
This has raised eyebrows over transparency and accountability, given Migrant Help’s massive government haul and involvement. Critics say it amounts to indirect government backing of messages encouraging migrants to view Britain as an easy landing spot.
A Migrant Help spokesman said their role is only to explain asylum laws, including that most asylum seekers can’t legally work. “This helps stop people being exploited by gangs through illegal work.”
Calls Grow to Slash Charity’s Funding
William Yarwood of the TaxPayers’ Alliance blasted the charity’s government fat cat funding amid rising unemployment. “With unemployment at a four-year high, the government should prioritise jobs for those already here, not bankroll Migrant Help to create jobs pathways for illegal migrants,” he said.
Robert Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control, summed it up brutally: “The Home Office isn’t just failing to stop Channel crossings, it’s funding the pull factors driving illegal migration.”
Mixed Messages on Migrant Policy in Crisis
Migrant Help’s £385 million government pot arrives amid a policy mess. The charity gives vital advice and protection to vulnerable asylum seekers. But the app’s upbeat pitch clashes with official talk on cracking down hard on illegal crossings.
Under current rules, migrants waiting over 12 months for asylum decisions can apply to work—around 16,500 people eligible for the app’s job features. Critics warn the app paints Britain as too easy a prize, risking more perilous Channel crossings.
While cultural tips might aid integration, opponents argue the app sends a dangerous pre-approval welcome mat, falsely assuming permanent settlement. In today’s crackdown, that’s a message Labour and the Home Office can’t afford to send.
