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27/10/2003
Government to get tough on 'abuse' of asylum appeals
The government plans to introduce new measures to tackle "abuse" of appeals against asylum decisions.
Reducing the length and cost of the current appeals system will help to prevent abuse by "unfounded claimants and unscrupulous legal advisers".
Home Secretary David Blunkett said that unqualified legal advisers were "too often encouraging claimants" to lodge appeal after appeal with no prospect of success "all at taxpayers' expense".
A new regulator will be able to act against people who "simply give advice on how to defraud the system", complementing new restrictions on legal aid to stop money being "wasted on groundless cases".
Plans for a single tier of appeal will replace the current system where those who are refused asylum can continue to challenge decisions.
The new legislation would also include sanctions for those who destroy or discard their travel documents, measures to return quickly those who have already claimed asylum in safe third countries and an end to support for families "able, but unwilling, to return home".
"Our strategy is not anti-immigration," said David Blunkett. "I have greatly expanded the opportunities for hard-working immigrants to come to the UK through legal routes. But the asylum system cannot work in the interests of genuine refugees if it is widely abused and open to exploitation by criminal gangs and the so-called legal advisers who help them."
On Friday the Home Secretary announced a one-off exercise to allow up to 15,000 families who sought asylum more than three years ago to remain in the UK – and so save around £15 million, the government claimed.
(gmcg)
Reducing the length and cost of the current appeals system will help to prevent abuse by "unfounded claimants and unscrupulous legal advisers".
Home Secretary David Blunkett said that unqualified legal advisers were "too often encouraging claimants" to lodge appeal after appeal with no prospect of success "all at taxpayers' expense".
A new regulator will be able to act against people who "simply give advice on how to defraud the system", complementing new restrictions on legal aid to stop money being "wasted on groundless cases".
Plans for a single tier of appeal will replace the current system where those who are refused asylum can continue to challenge decisions.
The new legislation would also include sanctions for those who destroy or discard their travel documents, measures to return quickly those who have already claimed asylum in safe third countries and an end to support for families "able, but unwilling, to return home".
"Our strategy is not anti-immigration," said David Blunkett. "I have greatly expanded the opportunities for hard-working immigrants to come to the UK through legal routes. But the asylum system cannot work in the interests of genuine refugees if it is widely abused and open to exploitation by criminal gangs and the so-called legal advisers who help them."
On Friday the Home Secretary announced a one-off exercise to allow up to 15,000 families who sought asylum more than three years ago to remain in the UK – and so save around £15 million, the government claimed.
(gmcg)
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