Accession nation applicants lose out

Over 150 asylum seekers from the 10 EU accession nations have had
their applications for transitional support turned down.

Immigration minister Des Brown said that, since 5 April, 180 people
had made representations to the government, of which only around 10
per cent had been granted help while they found a way of supporting
themselves.

Ministers had previously announced that all asylum seekers from the
accession countries would be denied support when their countries
joined the EU on 1 May. But, at the last minute, the Home Office
agreed to carry on supporting asylum seekers while it reviewed
their cases and considered whether their human rights would be
breached by the plans (news, page 7, 6 May).