Responding to today’s Interim report from the Independent Asylum Commission think-tank Migration Watch says that the document has completely ignored the fact that in recent years just over 60% of asylum claims in the UK have been rejected as not genuine.
‘Despite its official sounding title, this is a private initiative by a number of charities involved in asylum issues ‘said Sir Andrew Green, Migration Watch chairman.
‘Like them, we fully support a welcome for genuine refugees who are fleeing persecution. They now amount to only 3% of immigration but the extent of false claims and the failure to remove those concerned remain serious problems. If you set foot in Britain and say the word “asylum” you have an 80% chance of staying, more often than not illegally. No wonder they are still queuing up in Calais.
‘These uncomfortable facts are ignored in a report which implicitly assumes that all asylum seekers are genuinely seeking sanctuary from persecution when many are clearly economic migrants,’ he said.
‘The report seems designed to convey the general impression that the process is unfair and oppressive instead of tackling the abuse which is undermining public support for those who need it most – genuine refugees,’ said Sir Andrew.