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| Theresa May announces drive to limit right to claim asylum in UK | Theresa May announces drive to limit right to claim asylum in UK |
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| A major drive to limit the right to claim asylum in Britain has been announced by the home secretary, Theresa May. | A major drive to limit the right to claim asylum in Britain has been announced by the home secretary, Theresa May. |
| Outlining her “tough new plan for asylum”, May made clear that she preferred to offer asylum and refuge to people affected by war and oppression, rather than rewarding the wealthy and the fit who could make it to Britain. | Outlining her “tough new plan for asylum”, May made clear that she preferred to offer asylum and refuge to people affected by war and oppression, rather than rewarding the wealthy and the fit who could make it to Britain. |
| Related: George Osborne: 'you do not measure compassion by the size of your welfare bill' - Conservative conference live | Related: George Osborne: 'you do not measure compassion by the size of your welfare bill' - Conservative conference live |
| Her view was immediately condemned by the Refugee Council, which described the proposals as “thoroughly chilling”. | Her view was immediately condemned by the Refugee Council, which described the proposals as “thoroughly chilling”. |
| May’s plan to limit the right to claim asylum in Britain – 25,000 did so last year – was coupled with her strongest language yet to defend the renewal of her target to get net immigration numbers below 100,000, and the continued inclusion of overseas students in that figure in the face of strong opposition from her cabinet colleagues. | May’s plan to limit the right to claim asylum in Britain – 25,000 did so last year – was coupled with her strongest language yet to defend the renewal of her target to get net immigration numbers below 100,000, and the continued inclusion of overseas students in that figure in the face of strong opposition from her cabinet colleagues. |
| “Reducing and controlling immigration is getting harder, but that’s no reason to give up. As our manifesto said, we must work to control immigration and put Britain first,” she told the Conservative conference in Manchester. | “Reducing and controlling immigration is getting harder, but that’s no reason to give up. As our manifesto said, we must work to control immigration and put Britain first,” she told the Conservative conference in Manchester. |
| The home secretary’s only concession to those who accused the Tories of being the “nasty party” – a phrase coined by May herself – was to announce a register for those who could provide houses for the settlement of refugees and a community sponsorship scheme to allow individuals to support refugees directly. | The home secretary’s only concession to those who accused the Tories of being the “nasty party” – a phrase coined by May herself – was to announce a register for those who could provide houses for the settlement of refugees and a community sponsorship scheme to allow individuals to support refugees directly. |
| The Refugee Council said May’s intention to close Britain’s borders to refugees fleeing for their lives was “thoroughly chilling”, as was her “bitter” attack on the fundamental principle enshrined in international law that people fleeing persecution should be able to claim asylum in Britain. | The Refugee Council said May’s intention to close Britain’s borders to refugees fleeing for their lives was “thoroughly chilling”, as was her “bitter” attack on the fundamental principle enshrined in international law that people fleeing persecution should be able to claim asylum in Britain. |
| “The home secretary’s idea that the few refugees who reach Britain’s shores under their own steam are not in need of protection is fundamentally flawed. Becoming a refugee is not solely the privilege of the poor or infirm,” said chief executive Maurice Wren. | |
| May said Britain’s asylum system was not “right for the modern world” because it was geared towards those who were “young enough, fit enough and have the resources” to reach the UK. | May said Britain’s asylum system was not “right for the modern world” because it was geared towards those who were “young enough, fit enough and have the resources” to reach the UK. |
| “Wherever possible I want to offer asylum and refuge to people in parts of the world affected by conflict and oppression, rather than to those who have made it to Britain. I want us to reduce the asylum claims made in Britain, and as we do so, increase the number of people we help in the most troubled regions. | “Wherever possible I want to offer asylum and refuge to people in parts of the world affected by conflict and oppression, rather than to those who have made it to Britain. I want us to reduce the asylum claims made in Britain, and as we do so, increase the number of people we help in the most troubled regions. |
| “What I’m proposing is a deal – the fewer people there are who wrongly claim asylum in Britain, the more generous we can be in helping the most vulnerable people in the world’s most dangerous places. | “What I’m proposing is a deal – the fewer people there are who wrongly claim asylum in Britain, the more generous we can be in helping the most vulnerable people in the world’s most dangerous places. |
| “And my message to the immigration campaigners and human rights lawyers is this – you can play your part in making this happen or you can try to frustrate it. But if you choose to frustrate it, you will have to live with the knowledge that you are depriving people in genuine need of the sanctuary our country can offer. | “And my message to the immigration campaigners and human rights lawyers is this – you can play your part in making this happen or you can try to frustrate it. But if you choose to frustrate it, you will have to live with the knowledge that you are depriving people in genuine need of the sanctuary our country can offer. |
| “There are people who need our help and there are people who are abusing our good will and I know whose side I’m on.” | “There are people who need our help and there are people who are abusing our good will and I know whose side I’m on.” |
| The home secretary detailed a number of measures that will be part of the asylum drive, including | The home secretary detailed a number of measures that will be part of the asylum drive, including |
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| • Strengthening “safe return reviews” so that many more who have claimed asylum will be sent back to their country of origin when it is safe to return. | • Strengthening “safe return reviews” so that many more who have claimed asylum will be sent back to their country of origin when it is safe to return. |
| • Those who successfully claim asylum after travelling through a safe country, or those who overstay a visa, only being given a minimum stay of protection and not having an automatic right to stay. | • Those who successfully claim asylum after travelling through a safe country, or those who overstay a visa, only being given a minimum stay of protection and not having an automatic right to stay. |
| • Taking retaliatory measures against those countries which refuse to take back the thousands facing deportation who don’t have the right documents. | • Taking retaliatory measures against those countries which refuse to take back the thousands facing deportation who don’t have the right documents. |
| • Refusing to accept asylum claims from citizens of other EU countries under the “Spanish protocol of the Lisbon treaty”. May said it had cost £4m over the past five years to reject asylum claims from 551 EU citizens. | • Refusing to accept asylum claims from citizens of other EU countries under the “Spanish protocol of the Lisbon treaty”. May said it had cost £4m over the past five years to reject asylum claims from 551 EU citizens. |
| She told the conference that in the longer term she wanted to review the international legal definition of asylum and refugee status so it recognised the “huge difference” between a young Syrian family fleeing Islamic State or the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and a student who claims asylum when they have been found to have overstayed their visa. | She told the conference that in the longer term she wanted to review the international legal definition of asylum and refugee status so it recognised the “huge difference” between a young Syrian family fleeing Islamic State or the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and a student who claims asylum when they have been found to have overstayed their visa. |
| The latest official figure put net immigration at a record 330,000, raising questions about the possibility of controlling the flow and leading to senior cabinet figures, including Philip Hammond and George Osborne, demanding that overseas students be removed from the target. | |
| Related: Is Theresa May right about immigration? | Related: Is Theresa May right about immigration? |
| May acknowledged that reducing and controlling immigration was getting harder but said it was no reason to give up. “We have to do this for the sake of our society and our public services – and for the sake of the people whose wages are cut, and where job security is reduced, when immigration is too high.” | May acknowledged that reducing and controlling immigration was getting harder but said it was no reason to give up. “We have to do this for the sake of our society and our public services – and for the sake of the people whose wages are cut, and where job security is reduced, when immigration is too high.” |
| She outlined several measures to kickstart her campaign, including: enforcing the return home of overseas students when they finish their studies; changing the rules on EU migration so that migrants in low-paid jobs cannot top up their salaries with up to £10,000 in benefits; limiting the rights of anyone who marries a European citizen to live in Britain, and rewriting the rules on free movement which allows new immigrants to move throughout the EU. | |
| The Institute of Directors, however, said it was “astonished by the home secretary’s irresponsible rhetoric” and accused her of pandering to anti-immigration sentiment and putting internal party politics ahead of the interests of the country. | The Institute of Directors, however, said it was “astonished by the home secretary’s irresponsible rhetoric” and accused her of pandering to anti-immigration sentiment and putting internal party politics ahead of the interests of the country. |