South Thanet Labour Party
Working for the people of the South Thanet Constituency
Firm but fair— immigration and asylum under Labour 1997-2010
Australian type ‘Points Based’ immigration system introduced ensuring only people with skills we need are allowed to enter the UK from outside the EU.
Worker Registration Scheme introduced for people from Czech Republic; Estonia; Hungary; Latvia; Lithuania; Poland; Slovakia; or Slovenia who have to register if they want to work in the UK for longer than one month.
Lowest level of Asylum claims since 1992.
Over the last four years of the Tory government, asylum applications rose by 45%
Compared to 2004 asylum applications, Including dependants applications, fell by 24% in 2005 compared to 2004, falling at more than twice the rate of the rest of EU25 (excluding the UK). Applications (exc. dependants) rose 45% between 1993 and 1997 under the Tories.
Asylum claims now decided within 4 months and 76% of new claims decided within 2 months rather than the 22 months it took in 1997.
In 1996 the backlog was nearly 57,500. Down to 5,000 at the end of Q2 2006 and will have been completely cleared by 2011.
More people illegally in the UK deported than ever.
Removals of principal asylum applicants increased by 185% between 1996 and 2005 (up 92 % since 1997) but intake increased by just 13%.
More principal applicants were removed in 2005 alone (13,730) compared to the last four full years of the last Tory Govt (12,020 1993-96).
In 1996 the number of removals was equivalent to only 20% of predicted unfounded claims, that proportion was around 50% in 2004 and in 2005 increased further to over two thirds of unsuccessful claims.
The Tories planned to cut 1,200 immigration posts in 1997. In 1997 there were 2,706 immigration staff in post. Now there are nearly 8,600 – up over 5,800
To contact us:
South Thanet Labour Party office,
30 Newington Rd.,
Ramsgate,
Kent,
CT12 6EE
Email: South Thanet Labour Party