Another drop in asylum applications
LONDON (Reuters) - The number of people applying for asylum in Britain fell again in the second quarter of this year and has now dropped 76 percent since its peak in October 2002, the government said on Tuesday.
The Home Office said 6,220 people, plus dependants, applied for asylum from April to June, down 11 percent from the previous quarter and 21 percent from the same period a year ago.
Applications are down 20 percent since May 1997, when Labour came to power, it said.
"The figures published today show we are continuing to cut the number of asylum applications, now down by more than three quarters, an enormous 76 per cent since their peak in October 2002," Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said.
The government said the fall was due to a speeding up of the asylum and appeals process, the removal of the right of appeal in Britain for applicants from safe countries and the strengthening of visa regimes.
hmmmmmm I wonder if the Governments reason is rigt..................