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Press Releases for March 2003
March 4, 2003
Minister unable to give answer to central question...
March 1, 2003
Formation of Advisory Council…
Full Text of Releases : March 2003
Minister unable to give answer to central question...
In evidence today to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Beverley Hughes, the Minister in charge of asylum and immigration, was unable to say how many asylum seekers remained in Britain after being refused permission to stay here over the past five years.
'Our estimate is that they number approaching 250,000,' said Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of think-tank, Migrationwatchuk.
'These are of course the ones who go through the system - they take no account of many thousands of others who do not,' he said.
He said the group based its numbers on the following Home Office statistics:
|
Numbers of applicants 1998 - 2002
|
375,850 | |
|
Less those granted asylum or ELR
|
143,572 | |
|
Less those removed
|
43,330 | |
|
Sub total:
|
188,948 | |
|
Add 30% for dependants
|
56,684 | |
|
TOTAL:
|
245,632 |
'Ms Hughes claims that an unknown number return home of their own accord without notifying the Home Office, but they have no evidence to support this contention.
'Without an effective and swift removals mechanism the whole system is rendered pointless,' said Sir Andrew.
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Formation of Advisory Council…
MigrationwatchUK today announced the formation of an Advisory Council.
Its members are listed in the Personal Profiles section together with short biographical notes.
The Council will have no legal or financial responsibilities. Nor
will its members be responsible for the material produced by Migrationwatch.
The purpose of the Council is to provide advice on the strategic
direction
of the work as well as a range of independent views on migration
and
related issues.
Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migrationwatch, said, 'This is an important step forward. Members of the Council are distinguished in their own fields. They are brought together by a shared concern about the present situation and a desire to see a rational and informed debate on a subject of great importance to the future of our country.'
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