Tony Blair’s exasperation with the failure of the Home Office to get to grips with the mounting backlog of asylum claims in 1999 is laid bare in newly-released government files.
Papers released by the National Archives show the then prime minister complained at the lack of action to cut the “vast numbers” coming into the country.
His comments, 25 years ago, foreshadow the current political debate on how to curb the claimant numbers.
Mr Blair’s intervention followed a warning from home secretary Jack Straw in February 1999 that a “surge” in arrivals meant the total that year was expected to reach 59,000 – up from a previous estimate of 42,000.
Mr Straw was planning to release the figures to local authorities to help them plan for an expected influx, but officials in No 10 objected, arguing the estimates were not “robust” and should not be published.
Mr Blair agreed, adding in a handwritten note: “And what are we doing to cut these vast numbers? This really isn’t right unless there are real reasons for it.”
In a memorandum, Mr Straw said the problems were in part the result of the “dreadful” situation he had inherited from the previous Conservative government, including a computerisation programme in the immigration and nationality department (IND) which had gone badly adrift.
“Asylum cases increased tenfold between the late 1980s and mid-1990s, but the Conservatives failed ever to put in a commensurate system or resources, thus allowing backlogs to grow inexorably,” he noted.
No 10, however, was not impressed. Sally Morgan, a senior political adviser, wrote: “IND is a mess. Jack is relatively unconcerned about the situation. However (immigration minister) Mike O’Brien, who is closer to it, is much more worried.
“Our internal political problem is that we are relying on a principled position of being able to deliver on the time target (for dealing with asylum claims) which none of us believe is achievable on current plans.”
