Rules could be changed to remove taxpayer support for more than 10,000 failed asylum seekers living in Britain with their families, Home Office minister James Brokenshire has said. 

But the Old Bexley and Sidcup MP's plans have been met with criticism with the refugee council raising "grave concerns" over the plans.

At present, migrants can obtain accommodation and a £36-a-week support allowance from the moment they claim asylum in the UK. The support is withdrawn from individuals whose application fails, but those with families continue to receive help.

Now a consultation is being launched to find ways to remove support from failed asylum-seeking families, while ensuring mechanisms are in place to protect children.

Mr Brokenshire said: "The UK has a proud history of offering sanctuary to those who need it, but failed asylum seekers who refuse to return home are illegal migrants, plain and simple.

"The current system shouldn't offer any perverse incentives for illegal migrants to lodge spurious asylum applications or encourage those without genuine claims for humanitarian protection to prolong their stay in the UK. It's unfair to those in genuine need of asylum and migrants who abide by our rules as well as to hard-working British taxpayers."

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Immigration minister and Old Bexley and Sidcup MP, James Brokenshire. (c.) PA

The Conservative MP added: "I want to introduce new rules to support those who genuinely need it, but send out a very clear message to those who seek to exploit the system that Britain is not a soft touch on asylum."

In response the Refugee Council's head of advocacy Lisa Doyle said: "We have grave concerns about the Government's proposals to remove support from some of the most vulnerable families in the UK, many of whom fear there is real risk of serious harm or persecution to them and their children if returned to their countries of origin.

"This harsh proposal seems to be based on the flawed logic that making families destitute will coerce them into going home. The Government has a duty to protect all children in this country and previous governments have recognised it is morally reprehensible to take support away from families with children."

Scottish National Party immigration minister Stuart McDonald has deemed the plans "deeply worrying" and criticised the government for "political opportunism" by taking advantage of the situation in Calais.

He said: "This comes just days after the Court of Appeal found the UK Government's asylum process to be unlawful. The courts have repeatedly found that it is structurally unfair towards people who are seeking protection in the UK.

"The situation at Calais is clearly challenging, but it is absolutely not any form of solution for the UK Government to leave families with children destitute - many of whom fear there is real risk of serious harm or persecution if they return to their countries of origin."

There are currently just over 10,000 failed asylum seekers in family groups being supported under Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, while a further 4,000 individual failed asylum seekers are supported under Section 4(2) of the Act.

The Government will also consult on repealing Section 4(2), while ensuring that adequate support remains for "those who genuinely need it", for example in cases where real obstacles are preventing their departure from the UK.