Downing Street Says » Asylum Statistics

The PMOS drew journalists’ attention to asylum figures released today which showed we had already met the Prime Minister’s pledge to halve the monthly rate compared to October 2002. Applications were down 52% in the last three months of the year compared to 2002. In 2003 as a whole, following a surge of applications before the tougher benefits rules came into place, applications fell by 41%, which was four times the EU average. As a result of the fall in numbers, the applications for state support had fallen by 60% in the last three months of last year compared with the same period in 2002.

Asked how the Government had achieved these asylum figures, the PMOS said that the measures we had taken through legislation had had a significant impact. Also in terms of the action we had taken in terms of sending officers to France; working with the French Government to close Sangatte refugee camp and the whole range of measures we had taken. We did not believe, however, that this was a situation that was anything other than work in progress and we continued to pursue that, in terms of, for instance, building a new 330 capacity removal centre near Heathrow. We had turned a corner but we were not complacent.

Asked if we had removal figures, the PMOS said there had been a record increase of 23% in the number of removals for 2003.

Asked for a reaction to comments made this morning by the Libyan Prime Minister denying Libya’s culpability for the killing of WPC Yvonne Fletcher and the Lockerbie bombing, the PMOS said that obviously we would want to clarify those comments with the Libyan authorities. The PMOS pointed out that there did seem to be some disparity between those comments and the letter that the Libyan Government sent to the President of the UN Security Council about Lockerbie, which says in paragraph 3 “Libya accepts responsibility for the actions of its officials”. In terms of WPC Fletcher, the Libya Foreign Minister had said when he was here meeting the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary that “We were going to work on this issue as we were going to work on other issues with the spirit of co-operation, transparency and honesty.” There were disparities there which the Government would wish to resolve with Libya. The Libyans also in 1999 accepted general responsibility for the shooting of WPC Fletcher, after which we restored diplomatic relations, and Libya has paid compensation to WPC Fletcher’s family as well. Asked how were seeking to clarify the position, the PMOS said the clarification would come through the normal channels. If we looked at what had happened on the ground and if we looked at the actions Libya had taken and look at what it had said to the UN, the picture is a slightly different one.

Asked if the Prime Minister still intended to visit Libya, the PMOS said our intentions were as we had stated before. These were to pursue the goals in terms of WMD and restoring normal diplomatic relations. Nothing had changed in that position. At the same time Libya as we had said at the same time as the Foreign Minister’s visit here and as he recognised was well aware of our position on WPC Fletcher and indeed on Lockerbie. Questioned further the PMOS said that it had always been part of the context for any visit that Libya was well aware of our position and the need to make to make progress.

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» Tuesday, February 24, 2004

Asylum Statistics

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