All new asylum seekers arriving in the UK to be immediately deported - to Albania and Croatia!!!

     There has been much speculation around Prime Minister Tony Blair's rather bald statement in January that the number of asylum seekers coming to the UK would be halved by September of this year. Despite being asked numerous times he never explained how the reduction might come about.

     If the Sunday Telegraph have got their story right. Plans are afoot to ensure that all new asylum seekers arriving in the UK, will be immediately deported to Albania and possibly Croatia, where they will be held in specially built detention centres, whilst their claims are processed in the UK.

     According to The Sunday Telegraph, plans are already in progress for building 'processing' camps in Croatia. Proposals will be put to the European ministers meeting on Friday March 21st to pay eastern European countries to build processing centres.

     The Sunday Telegraph, say the information has come from a Whitehall official.

      NCADC once again have to ask, how come the media are informed before parliament about the Governments intended policies. Will these new proposals need legislation and will parliament get a chance to debate them them in full? There is still a lot of anger about over the way the 'Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act' was ramroded through parliament last year and in particular 'Section 55' which was never debated at all.

Sunday Telegraph:
Blunkett plans to send asylum seekers to Albania     Sunday Telegraph, Sunday March 9th 2003.