The overall cost of immigration and asylum advice, assistance and representation was £35 million for England and Wales in 1997-98. But by 2003-04 the figure had risen to £200 million, this was confirmed by constitutional affairs minister David Lammy in a written Commons reply.

The rise was due, in large part, to the introduction of legal aid for representation at appeal, efforts to reduce the backlog of asylum cases and increases in asylum seeker numbers.

The figures are expected to remain high in 2004 and 2005 rising to around £400 million.