MAIL Online: Labour allowed a ‘free-for-all’ on immigration during its first years in power, a Cabinet minister has admitted.
Large numbers of economic migrants were let into the country claiming they were asylum seekers, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said.
It was the first confession from a senior Labour figure that Britain’s liberal asylum laws were abused after Tony Blair came to power.
Mrs Blears’ criticism came amid a campaign by ministers to reassure white working-class voters that Labour was listening to their fears over migrants.
On Saturday, immigration minister Phil Woolas questioned the 1951 UN convention that underpins asylum rules and added: ‘A significant number of people who claim asylum are doing so for broadly economic reasons.’ >>> By Steve Doughty and James Slack | Monday, January 12, 2009
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