Asylum 'havens' urged by UK

Asylum 'havens' urged by UK

The UK received more claims last year than any other EU nation

British plans to deport asylum seekers to special safe havens while their claims are processed have been put to European Union leaders.

Tony Blair presented the draft proposals to his counterparts at last week's EU summit in Brussels and wants more detailed plans approved when they meet again in Greece in June.

With UK asylum claims topping 100,000 for the first time last year, Tony Blair has promised to halve the number of applications by September.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has suggested that the Iraq war could cause more than half a million refugees.

New Home Office targets mean the share of failed asylum seekers who will be removed from the UK in three years' time must be "greater" than the number deported this year.

But no figure was mentioned after the government last year dropped its target of deporting 30,000 asylum seekers a year.

That prompted Conservative shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin to brand Labour's asylum policy "bankrupt".

Transit routes

The draft safe havens' plans, seen by the Reuters news agency, propose new processing centres outside the EU.

"Asylum seekers arriving in the UK (and other EU member states) could be transferred to a transit processing centre, where their claims would be assessed," they say.

Those people whose claims were accepted would be allowed to leave the centres and enter the EU, while unsuccessful claimants would be returned to their home countries.

The vast majority of refugees have no hope of entering this country, whether clandestinely or in any other way

Beverley Hughes
Home Office Minister

Home Secretary David Blunkett will discuss the plans with his European opposite numbers at EU Justice and Home Affairs Council later this week.

Recent newspaper reports have suggested Albania could be the site for such centres, something the Home Office suggested was not accurate.

The plans say they could be placed in transit routes in areas like the Balkans, near to the source countries for many asylum seekers, such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

They continue: "Between half and three quarters of those claiming asylum in Europe do not meet the criteria of full refugees.

"Whereas according to the UNHCR there are 12m genuine refugees in the world, most of whom stay in their own regions.

"The current asylum system often requires those fleeing persecution to enter the West illegally, often paying criminal organisations many thousands of dollars."

Fairer system?

In the Commons on Monday, Home Office Minister Beverley Hughes said it was "imperative" to have order and stability in the UK's asylum system.

But she also argued new measures could make things fairer for refugees.

"The vast majority have no hope of entering this country, whether clandestinely or in any other way," Ms Hughes told MPs.

"That is why we have been developing proposals for zones of protection outside this country and means of processing people in transit places between source countries and Europe."

No 'dumping'

News of the safe havens idea surfaced in February, when it emerged a discussion paper had been put to a cabinet committee chaired by Mr Blunkett.

At the time, Downing Street insisted the document had no "formal status" and no decisions had been taken on the issue.

Under those plans, asylum seekers would remain in the centres for six months while stability was restored to their home country.

Those needing longer-term sanctuary could be shared between the UK and other European nations under a new population-based quota system, it suggests.

The discussion paper argued care must be taken to ensure the scheme was not seen as "dumping asylum seekers on the poorer nations".

Nor should it be seen as "using money to enable us to wash our hands of the refugee problem".

The Conservatives say the UK should accept a maximum of 20,000 refugees a year, with other asylum seekers sent to safe havens abroad.

The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, have long advocated a Europe-wide asylum system.