This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/6168498.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Failed asylum removals decrease Failed asylum removals decrease
(about 2 hours later)
The number of failed asylum seekers removed from the UK between July and September fell 26% compared with the previous quarter, figures show. The number of failed asylum seekers removed between July and September fell by a quarter compared with the previous three months, figures show.
The number of people applying for asylum rose slightly, according to the Home Office statistics. The drop means ministers have missed a key quarterly immigration enforcement target set by the prime minister.
There were 5,850 principal asylum applications from July to September - up slightly on the previous quarter. Ministers announced 800 extra officers to tackle illegal immigration the day before the statistics were published.
Nearly 3,300 principal applicants were removed in that period, the lowest quarterly figure for more than a year. Home Office figures show the number applying for asylum rose slightly during the third quarter of 2006.
The figure of 3,295 removals was 26% lower than in the previous quarter, and 12% fewer than the same quarter last year. According to the figures, the number of fresh asylum applications rose to 5,850 over the three months - although the numbers arriving yearly remain at their lowest level since 1993.
'Target missed' Some 3,300 principal asylum applicants found not to have a case to stay in Britain were removed - the lowest quarterly figure for more than a year. The government's policy so far has been one of neglect David DavisShadow home secretary href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6163610.stm" class="">Illegal immigration 'crackdown' At the same time, officials estimated that 4,500 of the newly arrived applicants ultimately would have their cases turned down.
While the number of fresh asylum applicants went up, the overall claims figure remains at its lowest since 1993. This means the Home Office has missed its "tipping point" target - ensuring that the number of failed applicants removed every quarter exceeds the number of new claimants expected to be turned down.
BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the recent figures showed the government had failed to achieve its "tipping point" target for that quarter, of removing more failed asylum applicants than the number of new claims anticipated to be unfounded. "This represents a decrease on the performance for previous quarters, reflecting decreased removals and increased unfounded applicants," said a Home Office spokesman. However, he added the tipping point had actually been exceeded over the course of the year to September.
But the target was met in the first nine months of the year, he added. The countries with the highest number of asylum seekers were Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, China and Somalia - all locations with documented histories of persecution or human rights abuses.
The countries producing the highest number of asylum seekers were Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iran. Of those who appealed against having their case turned down, a fifth were granted rights to stay in the UK. Latest figures for the government's long-standing amnesty affecting certain families show that 24,340 main applicants have been allowed to settle in the UK.
Enforcement
The figures show that as of 30 September, some 1,455 asylum seekers judged to have no case were awaiting deportation in detention centres. Some 140 had been awaiting removal for between six months and a year while another 50 had been held for more than a year.
The Home Office has been under pressure to speed up removals.
On Monday ministers said they were seconding 440 police officers to the immigration service and recruiting a further 360 new staff to boost efforts against illegal immigration.
The move came as a part of a wider plan to target people-smuggling operations and firms employing illegal immigrant labour.
The Conservatives said the seconded police were "badly needed" on the beat, while the Lib Dems called for new staff rather than the redeployment of police officers.
Separate figures also released on Tuesday reveal the number of Eastern European workers registered for jobs in the UK has reached half a million. The figures count anyone from the new European Union member states to have signed up for a job, rather than the numbers of people who have chosen to settle for the long-term in the UK.