The prime minister has announced a new offence of destroying travel documents and set new targets for deporting failed asylum applications.

Tony Blair said asylum applications had fallen by 70 per cent since their 2002 peak but that the focus now had to shift to removing failed applicants.

Meanwhile, the Tory leadership is preparing a tougher line on immigration and asylum.

Liam Fox, the Conservative co-chairman, told a private meeting on Tuesday night that it was the "number one issue" for the people who gave UKIP a 16 per cent share of the vote in the European elections in June.