Home Office to release new asylum measures

Thursday, 27 November 2003 12:00 AM

The government will say today that it has fulfilled its promise to halve the number of asylum claims.

The announcement will come when figures for asylum claimants between July to September this year are released today.

Prime minister Tony Blair made the pledge last October, after a record 9000 asylum claims were made.

David Blunkett is also set to disclose details of the next stage of the Asylum Bill. The Home Office says the new legislation will make it even harder to make fraudulent claims.

The Government will also outline plans to reduce the cost of legal aid for asylum claimants. Legal aid costs have more than doubled in two years to £174 million.

The new Immigration and Asylum Bill was set out in the Queen's Speech yesterday.

Controversially, included in the bill are measures to take into custody the children of failed asylum seekers whose parents refuse a free flight home.

Benefit payments will also be withdrawn from families who fail to take up a free flight home once their application has been rejected.

Asylum seekers could face up to two years in prison if they destroy their passports on the way to Britain, the Home Office said.

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