Blair defends immigration summit

Tories are demanding answers

Tony Blair is determined not to allow immigration abuses to "poison" the system of managed migration, his spokesman said ahead of a key summit.

The Downing Street meeting follows the PM's promise to take a "close interest" in immigration issues after the resignation of Beverley Hughes

Migration "brings enormous benefits to the whole country" and contributes £2bn to the economy, the spokesman said.

The Conservatives say the government has lost control of immigration.

'Stock-taking'

Mr Blair and Home Secretary David Blunkett will be joined by the attorney general and a host of Foreign Office and work and pension ministers, plus members of the security services for an emergency summit on the issue on Tuesday.

Downing Street said it was a stock-taking exercise, a cross-government assault aimed at tackling the abuse of the asylum and immigration systems.

The prime minister is determined not to allow abuses of the system to poison the whole idea of managed migration which brings enormous benefits to the whole country Tony Blair's spokesman Q & A: The immigration system

Mr Blair's spokesman said while the government "recognises there is a problem", this needs to be tackled "rationally".

"The prime minister is determined not to allow abuses of the system to poison the whole idea of managed migration which brings enormous benefits to the whole country," the spokesman said.

The summit wanted to identify the problems and define them to produce a work programme which can be considered at future regular meetings, chaired by the prime minister, he said.

Attractive country

The spokesman said immigrants contributed £2bn to the economy more than they take out in public services each year.

They account for 8% of the population, but contribute 10% of total wealth.

Lord Falconer told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was in the national interest to attract people to Britain, "subject to proper" migration management.

The UK is a "very, very attractive place to live", he said, adding: "We should not be ashamed to say it."

The events of the last few weeks with allegation and counter allegation ...would mean any sensible government would say 'let's see if there's more we can be doing' Lord Falconer Blair gambles on asylum

Lord Falconer acknowledged that the summit had been called in the wake of allegations over asylum in the run up to Ms Hughes's resignation last week as immigration minister - but he denied that her going had been the spur.

He insisted: "It's not a show - it is making sure that everything is being done to ensure that the policy is actually being delivered.

"But it's got to be managed migration. People have got to have confidence that the rules are being properly put together and then being enforced."

'No trade off'

He continued: "The events of the last few weeks with allegation and counter allegation, with information being given, would mean that any sensible government would say 'let's take stock, let's see if there's more we can be doing'."

Lord Falconer conceded that the government could improve the delivery of its immigration policy, but that did not mean the system was "completely flawed".

He denied newspaper reports that the UK struck a deal with Romanian premier Adrian Nastase to relax migrant controls in return for helping Tony Blair meet asylum seeker targets.

Falconer: 'National interest to attract workers'

According to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Blair promised to lift all visa requirements by spring of this year - claims Downing Street has also dismissed.

"There was no question of a deal, trade off, between the prime minister and the Romanian prime minister," said Lord Falconer.

"They met on 11 March, they openly discussed the issues of visa requirements at a press conference."

Tory leader Michael Howard says Mr Blunkett has "lost control of his department" and has described the government's policy on immigration as being "in chaos".

His frontbencher Alan Duncan said it was time to question the assumption that Britain needed immigrants and had to give asylum to persecuted people.

He called for a "grown up" debate on the issue, adding: "We need to ask whether the economics of the country need the sort of migration we're getting or whether people just aren't coming here for benefits."

Mr Duncan also repeated calls for a full independent inquiry into events leading up to Ms Hughes' resignation.