Asylum applications fall further

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Asylum applications have fallen slightly, according to statistics published by the Home Office.

The 1% drop in numbers continues a downward trend in the number of people arriving to seek refuge.

But the number of removals of failed applicants also fell as the Home Office focused on deporting foreign criminals.

Campaigners have criticised ministers for adding 10 more nationalities to a controversial so-called "safe" list which leads to removal without appeal.

According to the figures, some 5,680 applications for asylum were made in the first three months of 2007.

The largest numbers were made by people from Afghanistan, Iran, China, Somalia and Eritrea, all nations with recorded human rights abuses or conflicts. Applications from Afghans in 2006-07 rose by 45%.

The number of decisions taken by Home Office assessors exceeded the number of new applications - a key test of the system's ability to prevent a backlog building up.

Some 25% were given permission to stay as genuine refugees or under another form of protection while three quarters had their applications rejected.

The number of appeals also went up by 5% to 3,880, with a fifth of all cases having their rejection overturned.

Removals

However, the number of failed asylum seekers removed fell. Some 3,370 were sent home in the first three months of the year compared with 4,085 in the last quarter of 2006.

NEW SAFE COUNTRIES BosniaMauritiusMontenegroPeru Male applicants only: GambiaKenyaLiberiaMalawiMaliSierra Leone

Immigration minister Liam Byrne defended this fall, saying the Home Office's enforcement teams had been focusing on the "most harmful" foreign nationals.

"There are now fewer people than ever coming to the UK and making unfounded claims for asylum. Applications are down 75% since intake was at its peak in 2002," he said.

"We have delivered the change of gear we promised by deporting the most harmful foreign nationals first. Nearly 1,000 foreign national prisoners were removed in the first three months of 2007 compared with 495 for the same period in 2006."

But Conservative immigration spokesman Damian Green attacked the drop in failed asylum removals.

"A minister who is effectively admitting he cannot perform more than one of his core duties at the same time is not 'fit for purpose'," said Mr Green.

"We also shouldn't forget that the government's progress in dealing with the foreign prisoner crisis has been abysmal in any case."

Safe list

The Home Office also announced it was expanding its controversial list of so-called "safe" countries where those seeking asylum would normally be turned down.

Failed asylum applicants from these and another 14 nations can be returned before launching an appeal.

Tim Finch of the Refugee Council attacked the move.

"In light of yet another fall in the number of people claiming asylum in Britain, it seems particularly unreasonable to add more countries to an already long list of countries whose nationals are denied a right of appeal in the UK.

"Today's statistics show one in five appeals from nationals of those countries are successful. The appeals system acts as an essential safeguard against poor initial decision-making, which the Home Office has recognised remains a problem."