Blair promises action on asylum removals
Tony Blair has said that the Government will begin a big push to ensure that those whose asylum claims are rejected are deported to their country of origin.
Although the number of asylum applicants has fallen in recent months, opposition politicians have chosen to focus on the number of people being removed – a figure they claim is too low. Last year the Government failed to reach its target of expelling 30,000 failed asylum seekers, managing only to deport 13,000 (excluding dependents).This figure was, however, 29 per cent up on 2002.
In an attempt to head off this criticism, the Prime Minister announced today that the Government was setting a new target for removals. By the end of next year, he said that the Government would ensure that “the monthly number of removals exceeds the number of unfounded applications”.
Stating that the “single biggest barrier” to removal is the fact that 60 per cent of asylum seekers have no documentation, Mr Blair said that the people who deliberately destroy or throw away travel documents, or who do not co-operate with reissue, could face up to two years in prison.
The new documentation offences were included in this year’s Asylum and Immigration Act and will come into force on September 22nd. This week will also see the official opening of a new removal centre at Heathrow.
Speaking this morning, Mr Blair stressed that claims “have fallen 70 per cent since their peak in 2002 – a rate of reduction twice that achieved in the rest of Europe. Claims are now at the level of 1997 and we must get them down further.”
“It is not only applications that are down. Four out of five claims are now decided in two months rather than the 20 months we inherited. The backlog of claims is at a 10 year low. The cost of supporting asylum seekers while their claims are heard is steadily falling.
“We were right to concentrate first on reducing unfounded applications. But David Blunkett and I also accept that we have to increase efforts to remove those who remain in this country when their applications have failed.
“Thankfully we have been making significant progress. We are removing a far greater number of failed asylum seekers, though not enough. We are gradually closing the gap between the number of failed asylum applicants and the number removed. In 1996, the number of removals was equivalent to only 20 per cent of unsuccessful claims. So far this year, that proportion is almost 50 per cent.
“But I accept we need to do a great deal more. It can make a mockery of our asylum system if those properly denied the right to stay simply flout this decision and remain. It is unfair to those who play by the rules and sends the wrong message to those who may try to come to this country without genuine cause. It undermines public faith in the system.”
Stressing the importance of the documentary offence, the Home Secretary David Blunkett, said: “Many criminal traffickers will tell people to destroy their documents and mislead the authorities. At the end of the process we then have to try to obtain a travel document and acceptance by the country of origin for people to allow their return. None of this is acceptable.
“Today we are sending a clear signal to people coming into this country. If you are a genuine asylum seeker you have nothing to fear by retaining your documents. If you destroy those documents we will penalise you and it will have an adverse impact on your claim for asylum.”
In response to today’s announcement of government plans to step up asylum
removals Maeve Sherlock, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council said:
However, the announcement was greeted with some concern by groups working with refugees.
Maeve Sherlock, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “There are three worrying trends in the Government’s policy towards asylum seekers. One, treating asylum seekers as if they were criminals. Two, denying a fair hearing to people who have fled torture and persecution. And three, creating the misleading impression that most refugees coming here are abusing the system.
“Plans to prosecute people for destroying their documents are wholly misguided. As the Prime Minister admits, it is the criminal traffickers that order people to destroy or hand back their documents – asylum seekers are the victims of this practice. Refugees are often entirely dependent on smugglers to help them flee persecution.”
