The head of the British Home Office acknowledged that such a high number of applications is a problem, but said that recently introduced measures to tighten immigration controls would reduce the number of refugees. In third-world countries, Britain is still seen as a state with fairly liberal immigration rules, and statistics so far confirm this. In other European countries, the level of immigration not only did not grow, but even decreased. On average, in all EU countries except Italy, the number of incoming foreigners fell by 1%.
The UK Home Office reported that at least half of the applications for asylum were granted. These data are not final, as most of the applications filed last year are still being considered. However, only 13,000 people were forcibly deported from England.
British Home Secretary David Blunkett admitted that all these indicators are "extremely unsatisfactory". He noted that the influx of refugees is influenced both by objective geopolitical factors - such as problems in Iraq or Zimbabwe - and by specific problems - the penetration of illegal refugees from the northern shore of France through the Channel Tunnel. "But we have solved these problems," Blunkett said, referring to the closure of a large refugee camp on the French coast of the strait. "Now we are beginning to see results." According to the Home Office, the number of asylum applications in the last quarter of last year declined.
However, the opposition was quick to use the published statistics to criticize the government's approach to migration problems. Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin called the situation the result of many years of "complete neglect" of the refugee problem. "Nothing is worse than these figures," he said. "The asylum system is so dysfunctional that the only way out is to abandon it altogether and move to a quota policy for people who really need asylum, people who would be issued permission to enter the UK while still in their country."
Minister Blunkett, however, relies on the hope that the measures introduced by the government will help reduce the influx of those wishing to settle in the UK. Among the main innovations are the requirement to apply for asylum immediately upon arrival in the country, and the abandonment of the practice of granting temporary residence permits under special circumstances.
Iraq turned out to be the leader in the number of refugees arriving in the UK last year. The leadership of the British Home Office is not surprised by this. David Blunkett said that if the campaign to oust Saddam Hussein is successful, there may be fewer Iraqis on British shores. "I am thinking not only about how to stop the influx of refugees, but also about how to return home those whose countries are becoming safer."
But human rights groups that protect the interests of refugees believe that stricter immigration rules could prove counterproductive and only help smugglers who secretly transport people to the UK. "Peaceful people still find themselves in the whirlpool of political instability - in Iraq or Zimbabwe. Our government cannot criticize the leadership of these countries without providing asylum to those who are trying to escape repression," said Sandy Buchan, a representative of the organization Refugee Action.