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Press Releases for February 2003
February 28, 2003
Advertisement launches fund raising push for migration watchdog…
February 26, 2003
Appeal outcome could be 'tip of iceberg'
February 19, 2003
Response to High Court ruling...
February 13, 2003
Response to 2001 Census figures…
February 10, 2003
Government has 'forfeited confidence of British people' on asylum and immigration - poll verdict…
February 7, 2003
'Response to the Prime Minister's statement on asylum…
Full Text of Releases : February 2003
Advertisement launches fund raising push for migration watchdog…
Think tank Migrationwatch has launched a public appeal for funds to improve its ability to continue making the case for a rational UK asylum and immigration policy.
Formed a year ago the voluntary organisation, led by a former British Ambassador, has stimulated a public debate and robustly challenged the views of the multi million pound asylum and immigration 'industry.'
'Our views have been endorsed by the public who have given us great support - for which we are tremendously grateful - and all our revenue has come from individuals. Nearly everybody else in this field is heavily funded by the taxpayer,' said Chairman, Sir Andrew Green.
'The recent MORI poll we commissioned has shown we are in tune with the mood of the nation. 80% supported much tougher immigration controls, including 52% of the ethnic minority communities. But we know we are up against an extremely well-funded and well-organised lobby and therefore need the resources to continue putting forward the case,' he said.
The initiative has been launched with advertisements in several national newspapers.
Sir Andrew said the aim was to try and set up a small permanent office to conduct wider research than is currently possible and to make its voice even more effective.
'We now have an Advisory Council made up of distinguished members from many walks of life who will offer the benefit of their wide experience in furthering a well balanced debate on this most important issue,' he said.
Full details of Migrationwatch are obtainable on, www.migrationwatchuk.org, or by writing to PO Box 765, Guildford, GU2 4XN. Donations can be made on line or by telephoning 0845 330 50 71…
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Appeal outcome could be 'tip of iceberg'
Think-tank Migrationwatch has warned that the outcome of the appeal on 'late asylum claims' is only the tip of an iceberg that could seriously damage the Government's new Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 - seen as crucial to reducing soaring asylum numbers.
A legal opinion, available in full in the Research Papers secton of the site, paper 'H'] says that apart from the shortcomings identified in Home Office procedures on section 55 decisions, the judge held that there was a breach of Article 6 of the Human Rights Act by reason of the absence of any right of appeal against an adverse decision.
'If denial of a right of appeal against a decision by the Secretary of State is indeed to be treated as a breach of Article 6, that will completely undermine major provisions of the Act which were designed to speed up the processing of asylum claims by denying rights of appeal in various important categories of cases,' says the opinion.
'One day the government will have to face up to the fact that very substantial changes to international Conventions, if not actual withdrawal, are the only answer. We hope that this is sooner rather than later,' said Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of MigrationwatchUK.
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Response to High Court ruling...
In response to the High Court decision allowing a challenge by six asylum seekers against new rules denying them housing and benefit, Migrationwatch issued the following statement.
'This is good news for asylum seekers but bad news for Britain - and again it exposes the chaos that is the Government's asylum policy. While no one wishes to see people suffer the fact remains that nine out of 10 asylum seekers get to stay in Britain, most of them illegally. We have to take tough decisions in the short term for the longer-term benefit of society. British people understand this - 80% want much tougher immigration controls, including 52% of the ethnic community.'
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Response to 2001 Census figures…
The following comment was issued to the media on February 13, 2003 in respect of the results of the 2001 Census.
'These figures illustrate just how quickly and profoundly the character of some parts of our cities is changing. Indeed the changes will accelerate as the current record levels of immigration work through.
As a nation it is important we are comfortable with the pace and nature of fundamental changes to our society. Our recent MORI Poll revealed that 57% of our population are concerned that Britain is losing its own culture. The census figures should stimulate an open and honest debate about this highly sensitive issue. We can no longer pretend that it is not happening...'
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Government has 'forfeited confidence of British people' on asylum and immigration - poll verdict…
The electorate has delivered a damning verdict on the Government's asylum and immigration record.
In a Poll conducted by the MORI Social Research Institute for think tank MigrationwatchUK between January 16 and 21, 85% of the population, including the majority of Black and Asian Britons (59%), disagree that the Government has either immigration or asylum under control.
Similarly, some 76% of Britons disagree that the government is open and honest about the scale of immigration into Britain.
Separate, regular MORI surveys of the British public show a massive increase in those who see immigration as the most important issue facing Britain, from around 5% of the public in the 1990's, rising consistently to become one of the top issues facing Britain in the eyes of voters.
MORI's latest survey on the British political scene at the end
of January saw one in three Britons name immigration as a national
issue, behind only the Iraq crisis (64%) and on a par with concern
over the NHS (35%).
The Poll also reveals that most people still do not realise quite how large the flow of asylum seekers and immigrants has become. Nearly one third were 'don't knows', while a third thought that that the annual total was less than 30,000 a year. Only 2% got the right answer, between 200,000 and 250,000 a year. (Source: MigrationwatchUK Bulletin 7)
The results suggest that the concern about immigration and asylum are not fuelled by racism or xenophobia as 70% say 'it is a good thing that Britain is a multi-cultural society' and 87% agree that 'you do not have to be white to be British'. This is consistent with previous MORI research for the Commission for Racial Equality.
At the same time, 57% are concerned that Britain is losing its own culture, compared to 29% who hold an opposing view and 26% say that they are unwilling to say what they really thought about immigration in case they were seen to be racist (although more disagree).
The research highlights that older, working class, and less well qualified people often have very different views from other people (for example, younger, well educated people in London) and are much more conservative on many issues. For example, on the question of whether Britain is losing its identity, 73% of those without qualifications and 74% of over 55s agree with this statement. By way of contrast, 29% of those with degrees and 46% of those under 45 agree with the same statement.
The majority agree (71%) that asylum seekers who have arrived in this country from a safe country in Europe should be sent back. There is also strong support for a toughening of immigration laws with 67% saying laws should be 'much tougher' and a further 13% who say immigration should be stopped altogether. 12% said laws should remain as they are, 4% say they should be relaxed and 2% that they should be abolished altogether.
'What this graphically demonstrates is that, while most people accept our multicultural society, they are strongly opposed to further large scale immigration,' said Migrationwatch chairman, Sir Andrew Green.
'A very large majority both doubt the truthfulness of the Government and their ability to bring immigration and asylum under control. Furthermore, three quarters of those questioned rejected one of the Government's main arguments - namely, that immigrants were needed to do jobs that the British did not want to do,' said Sir Andrew.
'The Government has clearly forfeited the confidence of the British people on a subject which causes a great deal of disquiet,' he said. 'That disquiet would be still greater if the public realised that we are now facing immigration on a scale previously unknown in British history.
'Our view, supported by this Poll, is that the time for tinkering
with the law is past. Only fundamental and far-reaching changes
to the whole legal framework will rescue us from the government's
chaotic immigration and asylum policy.'
Technical details
Results are based on 2,057 face-to-face interviews conducted across
the UK in 198 randomly selected sample points via MORI's Omnibus
survey. Fieldwork was conducted between 16th January and 21st January
2003, and the data are weighted to reflect the known population
profile.
For the full results, see www.mori.com
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'Response to the Prime Minister's statement on asylum…
Following is a response to the Prime Minister's statement today in an interview for BBC Newsnight concerning plans to reduce the number of asylum seekers entering the UK by '30 or 40 per cent in the next few months.
'We are delighted. We have brought the facts before the British people and they have spoken. The Government is starting to listen but even this target is well above the level they inherited. They must now be given the chance to deliver by September but if, as we expect, they fail, they must totally revise the legal framework that got us into this mess.'
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