Blunkett defends asylum plans

Home Secretary David Blunkett today defended Government proposals to take into care the children of failed asylum seekers.

Mr Blunkett rejected criticisms of the plans voiced yesterday by Tory leader Michael Howard, accusing him of "sheer opportunism and hypocrisy".

Mr Blunkett, who was today releasing figures demonstrating that the Government has fulfilled a prime ministerial target to halve the number of asylum seekers, told the BBC that the proposals on taking children into care were a last resort and were actually intended to protect such children from destitution.

Howard 'hypocritical'

Asked about Mr Howard's assertion that the Government should be ashamed of its proposals, Mr Blunkett said the Tory leader was demonstrating "sheer opportunism and hypocrisy.

He claimed this was because in 1996, when he was Home Secretary, Michael Howard put forward and got through parliament an act that withdrew benefits from asylum seekers full stop. It was overturned in the courts.

"If you do that, you have to allow children to go destitute," Blunkett said.

Turning to his own plans, Mr Blunkett said: "If

you withdraw benefits from those who have failed their asylum claim, in other words they are illegal stayers in this country, you have to be prepared to do something for their children.

"And if you are not prepared to have those children in secure removal centres, then you have to foster or bring them into care. We are not taking their children away."

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