Clarke announces new asylum system

The government is set to introduce a new model for the way they
handle asylum cases, Charles Clarke told the Labour party
conference in Brighton today.

In his speech, the home secretary announced that asylum seekers
would have their case handled from start to finish by one single
case manager in a bid to allow cases to be processed more
effectively and efficiently, raise the quality of decision making
and enhance public confidence.

“It will allow genuine asylum seekers faster clearance and
ensure that those who aren’t genuine are returned to their
country of origin,” said Clarke. “This will maximise
deterrence against future unfounded applications.”

Dealing with asylum and immigration was the third of the Home
Office’s three “pillars”.

The first pillar deals with counter-terrorism, organised crime
and policing and Clarke revealed that dedicated neighbourhood
policing teams would be introduced in each community to establish a
strong local police presence.

The policing teams would be able to focus on antisocial
behaviour, tackle disrespect in neighbourhoods and challenge people
to play a part in society.

The second pillar concentrates on offender management with
reducing re-offending as the main goal.

To read Clarke’s speech in full
click here.