Asylum think-tank attacked by MP

Barbara Roche has called for "objective information" on asylum

An ex-immigration minister will attack an asylum think-tank as a "peddler of exaggeration and distortion".

Migration Watch says the scale of immigration into the UK is against public wishes and "must be reversed".

Barbara Roche will tell the Social Market Foundation that the group uses statistics as a jumping off point to attack multi-cultural Britain.

She will call for an independent organisation to give "objective information" about asylum issues.

What I'm arguing for is an independent strongly-grounded academic organisation who can give objective information about asylum and migration Barbara Roche MP

Ms Roche, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, said: "What Migration Watch does is to confuse migration with asylum.

"We sometimes have a very polarised debate in this country between left and right on asylum. That leaves a vacuum and unfortunately that vacuum is occupied by Migration Watch.

"What I'm arguing for is an independent strongly-grounded academic organisation who can give objective information about asylum and migration."

But Migration Watch chairman Sir Andrew Green claimed there could be no arguing with statistics used by his organisation.

He told the Today programme: "First of all, our population is already the highest it's ever been in our history. That's not in doubt.

"Secondly, it will increase by at least four million over the next 20 years - 60% due to immigration. That's not in doubt.

"And 75% of migrants come to London and the south east where the public services are already under severe strain. You can't challenge any of those statements."

'No upper limit'

Last week Mr Blunkett said he did not believe there was a maximum population that could be housed in the country, saying we should welcome planned migration as a benefit to the economy.

To us it's absolutely obvious that there must be an upper limit Migration Watch

Migration experts welcomed Mr Blunkett's change in tack - but appealed to him to start providing statistics which could not be misrepresented.

But on Monday Migration Watch also called for asylum seekers who arrive in Britain without travel documents to be locked up, as part of a wide-ranging programme to "restore public confidence" in the asylum and immigration system.

The government is expected to make the destruction of documents a criminal offence, although it already accepts that there can be good reasons for asylum seekers to use false documentation.

Refugee experts say many genuine asylum seekers destroy documents because it is the only way they can flee without being identified.