65,460 persons deported by New Labour in 2002 - up 88% on their first full year in power

      On Thursday, 28 August 2003, the Home Office released the asylum figures for the 2nd quarter of 2003 and, with less fanfare, the 'Control of Immigration Statistics 2002' , which is the available data on enforcement removals.

      In 2002 65,460 persons were forcibly removed from the UK, of whom 13,910 persons had sought asylum at some stage (this figure includes dependants ).

      David Blunkett said yesterday "The notion that nothing can be done and government action is failing is clearly proven to be wrong by today's figures. The changing situation in Afghanistan, Iraq and Sri Lanka, has also played a part and this is reflected elsewhere in Europe. But claims have fallen more than twice as much in the UK as elsewhere in Europe because of our tough measures."

      However, as the Institute for Public Policy Research point out, the reduction in the numbers of asylum seekers means that "People fleeing war and human rights abuses are being prevented from reaching the UK by tough asylum policies which have been introduced this year". Applications from Iraq and Zimbabwe have fallen and yet both of these countries are experiencing continuing human rights abuses and conflict.

      Equally, the increase in removals mean that there is an increased risk that people are being returned to situations in which their human rights and fundamental freedoms will be abused and their lives put at risk. The threatened cuts in legal aid will make it even easier for the government to remove people, and will therefore increase this risk.

      Largest nationalities of principal applicants removed or departing voluntarily in 2002 were estimated to be Former Yugoslavian (2,360), Czech (790), Polish (635) Romanian (555) and Albanian (510).

      While there is no breakdown of the ethnicity of those removed, NCADC's experience leads us to believe that many of those are Roma from Eastern Europe. Roma suffer extensively from discrimination in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Returning people to these countries is sending them back to abuse and harassment, often meted out by the police, who the Home Office argues should be able to protect them.

      "Current Home Office policies strip people of protection and will lead to people preferring to risk exploitation and abuse by remaining underground, rather than risk detention and deportation by claiming asylum. This is a shameful and irresponsible way to reduce asylum figures" Liza Schuster, London School of Economics.

      Some 48,050 illegal entrants - persons who entered the country clandestinely or by deception - were served with papers in 2002, 31 per cent fewer than in 2001. Recent media reports (the Times, 28 August 2003) have suggested this is due to a deliberate policy by the Home Office to reduce the number of claimants, since people picked up in this way often go on to claim asylum.

Enforcement figures under New Labour
65,460 in 2002
49,135 in 2001
46.800 in 2000
37,665 in 1999
34,775 in 1998 (first full year in power)