Howard to limit asylum entry
Conservative party leader Michael Howard has admitted genuine refugees seeking sanctuary from persecution could be turned away from British shores under his government.
Mr Howard – who on Saturday celebrated his first anniversary as leader of the Conservatives – said a future Tory government would introduce a fixed and “realistic” quota on asylum seekers.
Mr Howard said once the annual quota of 20,000 had been reached, people would be automatically denied entry, unless there was an “unforeseen international crisis”.
He said his government would increase the number of “genuine” refugees coming into the UK.
Mr Howard told ITV1’s Jonathan Dimbleby programme immigration officials would inform asylum seekers: “I am really very sorry but actually there is a limit to the number of refugees we can take.”
Mr Howard explained Britain could no longer simply accept the “millions” of people who claim persecution. About eight out of every ten people applying for asylum in the UK were “bogus” asylum seekers, he said.
“It is a completely unrealistic expectation. We should be honest and up-front about this and say ‘yes, we are going to play our share in this country, we are going to take a significant number of refugees’.
“But you cannot, in all honesty, expect a small and crowded island to accept a wholly disproportionate burden.”
Mr Howard said other countries had a responsibility to share the asylum burden.
“There are many other countries which they can go to, which they have to go to in order to get to our country,” he said.
“And all we are saying is ‘don’t pay the people-smugglers, don’t come from these distant parts of the world to Britain because you think it is going to be much easier in Britain. We are taking our fair share, but I am sorry to say we can’t take you all’.”
The Refugee Council said the quota idea was unworkable and “extremely worrying”.
