Are UK asylum laws working?

Home Secretary David Blunkett has defended Government proposals to take into care the children of failed asylum seekers.

Opposition leader, Michael Howard, had accused him of "sheer opportunism and hypocrisy".

But Mr Blunkett told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the proposals on taking children into care were a last resort and were actually intended to protect such children from destitution and said that he isn't the "King Herod of the Labour Party."

Figures show the number of asylum applications has halved - and another new measure planned is to electronically tag asylum seekers who are "subject to immigration control".

Do the new figures show our asylum laws are working? Do you support Mr Blunkett's measures?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

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The following comments reflect the balance of views we have received:

What matters to you, people or profit? Dietger, Belgium

Immigration is a natural phenomenon, you cannot stop it from taking place. As long as it is better on this side of the world, immigrants will come to us. We will have to share our wealth. And why are we the rich countries? Not because we work harder, but because of the colonisation and globalisation (our companies are ruling the world). Now capitalism is spreading all over the world, money and companies can move without the problem of borders. Why can people not do this? What matters to you, people or profit?
Dietger, Belgium

Perhaps asylum seekers' new port of call should be India. After all, that's where we seem to be exporting many of our jobs.
J. Harker, UK

The whole issue is blown out of all proportion by those who seek to gain political advantage at the expense of the most vulnerable members of society. How much money is spent supporting asylum seekers in this country compared to the vast amounts we gladly part with to maintain our "nuclear deterrent"
John, UK

Common Brits, you are a rich country and can afford to support poor people - why if your government can spend billions on a war that no one wanted in the first place. There are a lot of poor and third world countries which take in a lot of asylum seekers and immigrants - Why cant the UK?
Sandy, England

It is one thing to have compassion and yet another to be a doormat Richard, UK

It is one thing to have compassion and yet another to be a doormat. The UK was has been successful as an economy and a society because of who we are. Letting too many asylum seekers in changes the make up and motivations of the society in general. There has got to be limits.
Richard, UK

If people are genuine asylum seekers, fleeing persecution, then why are they not returned to their Country after the threat has gone? No more should be allowed in. It is not working, and what will happen in years to come when we are overpopulated? This country is ruined!
Zoe, England

To cut the ties of one's country, lose friends, houses, possessions in some cases cash and culture is not an issue to be underestimated. It can be very painful. However, the vast majority of those coming into the country are not asylum seekers, they are chancers and economic migrants. I have not problem with that. However, more decisions need to be made at the frontier at the time given the evidence available to the Immigration Officer. That would certainly reduce the problem. That said some economic migrants are actually in demand because they have a better work ethic than some British workers. But they do need to be regulated and not used as a tax avoidance scam by gang masters.
Tony, Kent

There have been many problems in processing asylum seekers when they arrive in this country having destroyed their documents, so why is the transport secretary so against photocopying of documents? Pakistan International Airways has been doing it for years and it is such a help to tracing undocumented arrivals
Clive Morgan, England

The truth is that the Home Office has no idea of numbers and at best employ conservative estimates Macleod, UK

The laws are NOT working. The reports of the 'improved' situation are based on 'creative accounting' by the Home Office, where 'goals' and targets constantly shift under ill-defined policy under Labour. The truth is that the Home Office has no idea of numbers and at best employ conservative estimates. We must become much tougher in our dealings with immigration and asylum, that those genuine cases are supported. Repatriate the rest, or at least return them to their first safe-haven (which is rarely the UK).
Macleod, UK

In many countries border police already "read" passport information from outbound (and inbound) passengers into a computer database system. Why can this information not be used to satisfy David Blunkett's wishes, instead of creating yet more delay and cost to airlines and passengers?
Paul Moon, England

Asylum laws aren't working because no one is clear on what they are, plus, as usual, there is no one to carry out the actual law. True asylum seekers deserve a break, but we are wide open to abuse and no one oversees it. It is like every other crime in this country; no one is there to actually uphold the law. No one wants to see someone return to a country if they are going to be slaughtered but once again, the minority spoil for the majority
S Hayden, England

Labour are constantly tackling this problem with various bills and proposals, and I am proud of them for doing so Sam M, England

Yes, these laws are working. Labour are constantly tackling this problem with various bills and proposals, and I am proud of them for doing so. The British public, lets face it are getting sick of all these immigrants, with all the problems and racial tension they create. And no, I am not a racist. Well done Tony Blair and David Blunkett.
Sam M, England

We should be willing to pay for as many appeals as necessary to prevent innocent people being imprisoned, tortured or killed. If we do not, we are no better than the brutal dictators we claim to oppose and are giving our consent to disgusting human rights abuses.
Alex Marshall, UK

In theory, everything sounds wonderful. Putting theory into practice and making it work is the only effective result.
Mari, Dorset, UK

Yes of course they are working, they must be as asylum figures have halved, what's the problem? I have a feeling that certain contributors to this board would bash the government for not doing something about asylum numbers and would bash them again for doing something and succeeding! Totally farcical and totally ridiculous. Just as Michael Howard's response was absurdly hypocritical.
Lucy, UK

For too long people in poor countries have toiled away for about £1 a day or less to produce artificially cheap goods for consumers in rich countries to buy with artificially high wages. The idea of closing borders to the lucky few who escape this slavery disgusts me as a human being. What did we do to be British? Be born that's all! So surely all asylum and migration laws are based on ideas of racial superiority.
Chris, UK

Englishness itself is a relative concept that has changed over the years and more change is welcome! DS, UK

UK has been a country of asylum seekers for centuries. What's the fuss now? Most of the people who have written anti-asylum seeker comments are probably descendents of asylum seekers and immigrants themselves! Did they cause any trouble to Englishness? Englishness itself is a relative concept that has changed over the years and more change is welcome!
DS, UK

No, they are not working. The legal system does not seem to have caught up yet with the fact that illegal immigration has become asylum seeking. The dedicated staff working in this field are being frustrated by hopelessly inadequate border security and a system which seems unable to send people back, despite Mr Blunkett's tough words. And who trusts Government statistics these days?
Malcolm, UK

No, the asylum and immigration laws of this country are not working. We are still regarded as a soft touch. The new proposal to take the children of failed asylum seekers into care only amplifies the sorry state the government is in. If they are 'failed' asylum seekers - what are they still doing in the country? Ship 'em out and make room for genuine cases to be dealt with.
RB, England

If asylum seekers are supposed to stop in the first safe country we should not have any here ... if they wish to live in England they can apply from their first safe port of call ... by coming to England without going through the proper channels they are breaking the law ... is that the kind of citizen we want? Ones with so little respect for the laws of this country?
K A Howlett, England

Of course, they want a better life! Would you want theirs? Gene, Belgium

So much nationalism, around here! The right of the land! Weren't countries created quite recently, though? Why can't people understand that asylum seekers are human beings, like them at the core, sharing so much DNA? Economic migrants are also in distress! Of course, they want a better life! Would you want theirs?
Gene, Belgium

There is no way that the asylum system is working. Figures can be massaged to read whatever you want them to read. Is the glass half empty or half full!
Robbie, UK

After the recent arrests I cannot help but start wondering how these people got into the UK? Should we not start tightening our asylum laws and keeping a much closer check at those entering our country? I am for helping those in need but making sure we do not become a safe haven for those not only looking to abuse a 'soft system' but actually causing harm. ID cards a big step in the right direction.
Charlotte, UK

Should we let genuine asylum seekers in? A decent person would always say yes. Should we let economic migrants in? Yes, anyone with the drive and ambition to risk all the dangers of getting into this country is clearly a more valuable contribution to our economy than many current residents of the UK. We need more of these people creating jobs and paying taxes so that we can afford to keep our benefits system for the future.
John, UK

The senior management and politicians have just lost control of the situation Anon, UK

I know people working in the Immigration Directorate and quite simply, they are lost. It has undergone a tremendous expansion in recent years, pouring vast amounts of money at the problem and they don't seem to be going anywhere. The people on the ground are doing a very good job, but the senior management and politicians have just lost control of the situation and are now grasping at straws.
Anon, UK

In an ideal world with unlimited housing, healthcare, jobs and schools, free movement of people around the world wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately we don't live in that world and that's not even taking into account current security issues.
Andy W, UK

The situation was allowed to spiral out of control under the Tories and now New Labour. So no, asylum laws in the UK are not working, YET. Other European countries have considerably speedier and more streamlined systems. The UK has to tighten things up even more and actually deport those who have no right to be here.
Mick Smith, UK

I think the idea of taking children into care is pushing the asylum system a bit too far. Let's face it, the Government has no real strategy. If they did, they would not need to introduce new legislation every twelve months since they came to power.

The government can't be allowed to have it both ways Stephen Wey, UK

All anti-asylum laws should be scrapped. No one stops companies exporting their businesses abroad to exploit the cheaper labour market. Why shouldn't people be allowed to move around freely also in search of better jobs and standards of living? The government can't be allowed to have it both ways - if they want free trade they must also allow free movement of people to search for better jobs and standard of living and to flee poverty and oppressive regimes.
Stephen Wey, UK

In Holland the duration of the entire process including appeals is six days - here appeals can take over two years. This is most likely why Britain is so appealing. If unjustified asylum seekers knew they would only have six days in the country they would likely try somewhere else instead, whereas the legitimate cases would have their futures sorted out and stability returned far quicker, so it would be of benefit to them too.
Richie, UK

If the government's goal is to completely alienate asylum seekers from the public than yes the laws are working. What the public needs to realise is that the British working force, just like the rest of Europe, is decreasing and that fewer young will be left to pay the price of rising healthcare and pension costs. Asylum seekers can either be integrated into the community and relieve some of that burden or kept in Immigration Removal Centres at the cost of the public.
Benjamin Strieth, Greece

The current laws are not working, simply because they are not being enforced Bob, England

No the current laws are not working, simply because they are not being enforced. Creating a new law does not magically cause existing ones to be enforced. International law means that asylum seekers can claim asylum in the first country they reach after fleeing their own. Virtually none of the claimants in the UK fit that definition having passed through many countries en-route to the UK, including our Euorpean neighbours, thereby forfeiting any legal right to asylum in the UK. The simple application of the laws (both British and international) already in place would be quite sufficient.
Bob, England

Why do people in this country continue to believe that we have one of the most generous benefit packages, despite the lowest taxes in Europe? We don't! If the asylum seekers were just here for the money they would have gone to Scandinavia instead (and yes a lot of them do) where benefits are much better than in the UK.
The real reason that many of them choose Britain is that once they are here there is very little control of what they do or where they work, just as it is for every other UK resident. In other countries you're issued an identification number and have to register where you live, where you work etc. That number is then used to combat benefit fraud, insurance scams etc. As long as the man on the street values his "privacy" as highly as the average Brit, it'll be very difficult to combat these things and therefore there will be a lot of asylum seekers who are seen to use the system.
Peter, UK (ex Denmark)

The international Laws governing refugees and asylum seekers are there to protect us all. To be so convinced that we will be safe forever and that we will never have to seek asylum elsewhere is just arrogant considering the terrorist threat we now live under. Let's put the hysteria aside and treat people with a little dignity. You never know one day it might be our grandchildren seeking asylum from another country, and the official in charge might just remember how he was treated at our hands when he needed help.
Brendan, Loughborough, UK

Hmmm. Lies, damned lies and government statistics. I hate being so cynical, but given successive governments' manipulation of the unemployed figures, how else can one be?
Bob H, UK

There's no way that 200,000 people can 'swamp' a country as large as the UK Nick, UK

I think it's very important not to over-hype this issue. Spending on the entire asylum and immigration procedure, along with the accompanying cost of housing and heath, accounts for 0.4% of government spending. There's no way that 200,000 people can 'swamp' a country as large as the UK. The system is only a 'shambles' because it is used as a political foil every time a party wants a sound bite to win middle England support, and it's an easy target. How about giving each one a temporary national insurance number on arrival, so that they can work legitimately and contribute? Or maybe looking at the reason so many asylum seekers seem to come from countries that the UK has been involved in militarily over the past decade? There's more important issues than this for the government to be addressing, rather than diverting our attention to the most visible and vulnerable group in the country.
Nick, UK

Its simple enough - if you apply for asylum then you go to a processing centre - if you fail then you are put on the next flight home, if you fail to register on entry to the country you are immediately sent home.
Unfortunately this country is too soft - personally if I was running to another country in fear of my life then the prospect of a few months in a processing centre wouldn't be too much of a hardship, if I wanted an easier life then it may be a different story.
Bryan C, UK

Don't blame the bogus asylum seekers; after all they are only doing what most of us would do if the roles were reversed. Instead blame the government for signing up to the human rights act. Whatever new law they bring out to counter those wishing to enter our country illegally is challenged and ultimately quashed because of it.
Steve Tinsley, UK

The greatest asylum success Labour ever had was convincing Britain that asylum was an issue that required this amount of attention. Labour created an enemy in order to slay it - and so stand back to take applause from The Sun newspaper. Wobbling governments like to find ways to play the proud nation/nasty foreigner card. The spectacle of Michael "Prison Works" Howard laying into Blunkett for being too right-wing is a warning sign.
Geoff, UK

This is a joke. Why? Time after time do we need this on our budget. We are constantly facing rises in taxes and housing issues when we as a kingdom are not even looking after our own first. The system should be re-invented to allow the seekers to be allowed to travel to their nearest safe country and not direct to the UK where it is a strain on our resources. This must stop now!
Paul, London

The reduction in numbers claiming is meaningless, if the numbers being removed remain the same. Around 80% of asylum applications are unfounded (a figure which has remained roughly the same since the 1980s). The policy of allowing failed asylum seekers to stay once their claim has failed (most people granted exceptional leave to remain are given this status to avoid 'upheaval' and the cost of removal) has to stop.
Thomas, UK

The most overlooked issue is "why are people seeking asylum?" The best way to stop the large numbers of people moving around the globe is to stop the problems in their home countries. Much more international development is needed to lift people out of poverty, even intervention by the West if corrupt and brutal governments cannot be held to account by their own people. The West spent the last few decades inadvertently creating the problems we now face. Its time that we take stock and realise we are sleeping in a bed of our own making.
Craig, London -ex New Zealand-

Has no-one noticed the floods of Brits going the other way!
Louise Bass, England

Of course the figure are down, they are all here already, getting the figure down is one thing, making sure they stay down and removing the people with no right to be here are is another matter.
Mark Butterworth, UK

The system is a joke Steven, England

Our country is repeatedly exploited by not people who have genuine claims for asylum, but by economic migrants, who target Britain because they know that we are the soft touch of Europe. We fund, house, and educate people who haven't come here to escape genuine persecution, but have come here to exploit the resources that we should be using to look after British nationals, who are often pushed to the back of the line. The system is a joke.
Steven, England

The Asylum situation in this country is a shambles. You have to ask why asylum seekers don't apply for asylum in the perfectly safe countries they pass through before getting to the UK? Maybe it's the free housing, health care etc. As for the government saying the figures have been halved - how do they know? Only recently did Blunkett state that he didn't have a clue how many illegal immigrants are in the UK.
Tim, UK

No Passport, No Entry! Why hasn't the government imposed this one? It would route out at least half of the illegals who burn their passports on the way here to make bogus claims. I can't get into other countries without a valid document, why should they?
RON, UK

It was only a short while ago that the government admitted they had no idea how many asylum seekers were entering the country, so how can they claim they have met their target? To quote David Brent of 'The Office' fame, "Statistics are like lampposts, as much for drunks to lean against as they are for illumination".
Kevin Darley, England

The picture is so clouded by the passion surrounding this issue it's hard to tell. Labour may tell us their plans are working, but I wouldn't believe this government if they told me the sky was blue. I don't think we are being swamped by hoards of foreigners, as some would have us believe, but I do feel that the current system is not working well enough to weed out undesirables and also give true refugees a chance to be successful here.
Jonathan, UK

I do not think that the UK's stance is hard enough Jason, Germany

Although I have complete compassion for legitimate Asylum Seekers, I do not think that the UK's stance is hard enough. One only has question why so many travel to the remotest point in the EU to seek a new life - because we have no control once they are on the UK. Perfect if you want to blend in with no accountability. The sooner we have a true Identity Card, the better, after all, if you have nothing to hide, whats the problem with carrying one?
Jason, Germany

I live in an area where asylum seekers are housed in large numbers around the town where I live. Many of these people have had their applications for asylum approved, but still these people refuse to work, instead preferring to hang about on the streets like teenagers. I don't deny that some asylum seekers come over here to work, but the others just don't bother. It is also wrong to comment about asylum seekers unless you have experience of living in the places where these people are put!
Anon, UK

Until when is the UK going to take in asylum seekers - some genuine, some not - who for some reason have not been able to stay in France, Italy, Germany etc? Why are these reasons not investigated accordingly? The UK is a small island, where border control should be far easier than if it was in the Continent. We have limited resources and cannot save the world. The bubble is going to explode and meanwhile our EU friends are having the last laugh!
MJ, UK

Asylum seekers and economic migrants should be distinguished. The former should have clear conditions set about their stay. For example if their perceived risk of being back in their home country cannot be substantiated they should be deported. Economic migrants are fine as long as they are genuine skilled individuals who speak English. 'Dole moles need not apply'. After all, I wouldn't expect to get a job in Australia without meeting their visa points system by being educated, experienced in my field and able to contribute to the society immediately.
Brian, Scotland

UK asylum laws are definitely not working and I fear that it is already too late. One thing is to have compassion for those who are persecuted and give them the chance of a better life and the other thing is to be the target of rip-off gangs who know that the U.K. is a soft touch. All our services are in desperate need of money to improve them. Why is it that we cannot process asylum seekers more quickly and if the decision goes against them why are they then given numerous chances to appeal this decision? They should immediately be returned from whence they came.
Anne, Greece

There is no point hosting thousands of families for months or years and forcing them to live off government hand-outs Philip, UK

If Blunkett is worried about the costs of hosting asylum seekers, he should seek to remove the law preventing asylum seekers from working. There is no point hosting thousands of families for months or years and forcing them to live off government hand-outs.
Philip, UK

Yes, some asylum seekers may abuse our social benefits system. But how many natives do the same? And how many of them show an adverse attitude towards asylum seekers? Let's all stop being hypocrites please and let's face the music here: by shutting the doors to immigrants, large parts of our society including the NHS would come to a grinding halt, because far too few members of the indigenous population of this country are willing to perform those little-paid dirty jobs.
Rob, Surrey, UK

You only have to look around you to see that this is just more spin from the masters of spin. Our council rates are souring to pay for housing for asylum seekers. Our taxes are soaring to pay their medical and legal aid bills. And then Blunkett would have us believe that asylum seekers are contributing to the economy.
Mike, England

I think what the asylum laws are succeeding in doing is turning us into a people with no compassion towards other less fortunate than ourselves. It seems that just about everyone is quoting the same old mantra about how these folk are fleecing us. Would you hang under a speeding train or risk suffocation in a cramped truck to gain some tawdry benefits. Come on, folks, wake up. Even Tony Blair's father-in-law is leaving the country because he's disillusioned with the current government.
Dixie, England

It is a testament to the viciousness of this government that Michael Howard of all people stands to the left of the Labour Party on the issue of putting the children of asylum seekers into care.
Alun Parry, UK

We are more heavily taxed than ever before and yet our schools and hospitals are on the brink of financial breakdown - Where are our taxes are going? Richard Ross, UK

Nobody in their right mind would turn away those in genuine danger, but through misguided political correctness, the government are spending our public funds on illegal economic migrants whose only motivation is to claim as much benefit as possible. We are more heavily taxed than ever before and yet our schools and hospitals are on the brink of financial breakdown - Where are our taxes are going?
Richard Ross, UK

No, the laws aren't working, because the UK is still seen as the land of milk and honey for too many. What we need to do is remove more asylum seekers that have had their appeals rejected. Giving amnesties, as the Home Secretary did last month to failed applicants, just makes the situation worse and only encourages more illegal immigrants that they will be able to stay in the UK no matter what.
Nick, London, UK

The changes to the asylum laws are long overdue. It really is disgraceful the way some (many) people in this country talk about asylum seekers. We are an amazingly wealthy country and we have a duty to share our wealth and opportunities.
Simon Atkin, UK

The current system has completely failed. People fleeing genuine persecution should be welcomed but those who are here to gain financially should not get any state help.
Mark, England

Once again - it's the figures that are being massaged. The drop is purely down to the fact that more people are being granted exceptional leave to remain. This removes them from the Asylum Seeker process.
Darrell, UK

If these figures represent the truth about asylum seeker numbers then this is a good start, however as the UK is not a first safe country for anyone the numbers should be virtually nil. When are they going to make a start on removing failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants who are already here?
Tom, England

Welcome genuine asylum seekers, as every country needs them. But the bogus asylum seekers could easily be stopped if you advertise globally that if you come to the UK, you don't get one penny in handouts.
Craig, England

David Blunkett says there is "no limit on immigration" yet they say that they are reducing the number of asylum seekers. Sounds like a contradiction to me.
Nicholas, UK

It's a case of shutting the door after the proverbial horse has bolted Russell, UK

No, they are not. Apart from the obvious fact that these figures do not include the great number of illegal entrants into this country, there are two obvious reasons for the decline in numbers. Peace has returned to countries where the bulk of the asylum originate from and those who are purely economic migrants therefore see their local economies recovering. The other major reason of course is that they are already here. It's a case of shutting the door after the proverbial horse has bolted.
Russell, UK

No they are not. How many people have their applications reclined only so that they can stay in this country while appealing for up to 10 years. That is not a fair system. I agree with helping those in need but a lot of them do not need help and want a better lifestyle. I have also heard of cases where even if their application has failed they are still allowed to stay in this country. Where is the justice in that?
Nina, UK

How can we have any confidence in those figures? Reclassifying half of the people would immediately halve the figures but those people are still here!
John M, Lyne Meads, UK

Of course they're not working; we are getting flooded with illegal immigrants. International agreement says refugees should stop at the nearest safe harbour, you can't tell me that the UK is the only safe harbour in Europe after they pass through all those other countries.
Ben Bell, England

It's totally wrong to remove children from their parents, in any case. I mean was their not a public outrage when the Asylum seeker's held their children over the side of a boat, to prove how serious they were. Now all we are doing is sinking to that same level. What should happen is simple. Asylum seekers should be held off shore or in special places until their claim is checked. Then it should be a s simple as "Claim Rejected, You are Ejected". No more appeals costing us money, just as simple as that.
Jason, UK