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| Ministers consider asylum changes | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Asylum applications made in Scotland could be dealt with by officials north of the border. | Asylum applications made in Scotland could be dealt with by officials north of the border. |
| UK Immigration Minister Liam Byrne indicated the possible reform during a meeting with Scottish Labour MPs. | UK Immigration Minister Liam Byrne indicated the possible reform during a meeting with Scottish Labour MPs. |
| It follows growing opposition to dawn raids which have seen forced removal of failed asylum seekers in Scotland. | It follows growing opposition to dawn raids which have seen forced removal of failed asylum seekers in Scotland. |
| However, Ian Davidson MP, who attended the meeting, defended dawn raids and said the aim of the change would be to speed up the application process. | |
| He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "What we regard as unacceptable is leaving people in limbo for long periods of time, with uncertainty over the decision that is being made. | He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "What we regard as unacceptable is leaving people in limbo for long periods of time, with uncertainty over the decision that is being made. |
| "We accept that dawn raids are undesirable but the difficulty is finding an alternative. | "We accept that dawn raids are undesirable but the difficulty is finding an alternative. |
| "We've examined the question of voluntary return. | "We've examined the question of voluntary return. |
| "At the moment we offer £2,000 of cash in kind for people who are refused asylum to go back, but there has not been a great take-up of that." | "At the moment we offer £2,000 of cash in kind for people who are refused asylum to go back, but there has not been a great take-up of that." |
| Mr Davidson said the onus was on those who want an end to the practice of dawn raids to suggest an alternative. | Mr Davidson said the onus was on those who want an end to the practice of dawn raids to suggest an alternative. |
| "We are in listening mode, if somebody has got an alternative we are perfectly willing to listen to them," he said. | "We are in listening mode, if somebody has got an alternative we are perfectly willing to listen to them," he said. |