By Andrew Hunt, Policy Chief, Great British PAC.
Britain is a generous nation, but it is under pressure. The asylum system is overwhelmed. Legal migration is high and rising. Public services are straining. And voters are right to ask: is anyone in Westminster seriously thinking about how to fix it?
We’ve all seen the headlines: a sharp rise in migrant-linked crime, and a record number of asylum claims from individuals who arrived here legally, often under the guise of skilled worker visas, only to abandon their jobs and exploit the benefits system almost immediately. This cannot be right. It demands a serious response.
At the Great British PAC, we believe in bold, practical, and economically sound solutions. That means moving beyond slogans and panic, and harnessing the tools Britain already excels at. One such tool is our world-leading insurance industry. And that’s where a powerful idea comes in: Good Behaviour Insurance — a new requirement for all UK visa applicants.
Here’s the core insight: most asylum claims in Britain don’t begin with illegal Channel crossings. They begin legally, with people arriving on visas – student, visitor, work or family – and then seeking asylum, overstaying, or simply disappearing into the system. The consequences are costly and corrosive. Yet this entire category of migration has escaped meaningful scrutiny.
What if we changed that – not with blunt-force bureaucracy, but with intelligent risk pricing?
Under our proposal, every visa applicant would need to purchase a private insurance policy, valid for the duration of their stay. That policy would cover:
- Debts left unpaid, protecting landlords, local authorities, and businesses.
- Criminal behaviour, with compensation paid to victims and the state – including the costs of policing, prosecution, and deportation.
- A major payout if the individual seeks asylum, overstays, or cannot be removed – funds that could be redirected to a third-party country (such as Rwanda or Albania) that agrees to process their case and resettle them where necessary.
- Optional health cover, easing pressure on the NHS by requiring private coverage for expensive treatments.
This approach would not only protect the taxpayer – it would supercharge market incentives to control risk. Britain’s insurance sector, from Lloyd’s to the City’s global reinsurers, is among the best in the world. Let underwriters, not civil servants, assess who presents a low or high risk. Over time, visa applicants who are productive and law-abiding would face minimal costs. But those flagged as high-risk, based on patterns of overstaying, fraud, or criminality, would find entry prohibitively expensive.
This is what smart immigration policy looks like: economically rational, morally neutral, and legally robust. It doesn’t require rewriting international treaties. It doesn’t breach ECHR obligations. It doesn’t require massive new government infrastructure. It simply says: if you want to come to Britain, you must be accountable for your actions.
Crucially, this isn’t anti-immigration. It is pro-integrity, pro-responsibility, and pro-Britain. It strengthens public confidence in migration by ensuring the costs of abuse are not borne by ordinary taxpayers. And it supports our strategic industries by creating a brand-new market in migrant risk underwriting, an area where British firms could lead globally.
There’s also a political opportunity here. Britain’s financial services sector contains many successful, patriotic individuals who want to see sound policy and real reform. This is a chance to reconnect with them, not just as donors, but as investors in Britain’s long-term resilience.
In short, this is a policy whose time has come. It addresses real concerns without hysteria. It rewards good behaviour and deters bad. And it shows that Britain can respond to complex challenges not with bureaucratic panic, but with bold, market-led solutions.
The Government would do well to take note.
Let us know what YOU think: Info@GreatBritishPAC.com
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