Howard: Asylum policy criticised

Tony Blair has slammed the "shameless opportunism" of Conservative policy on asylum and immigration.

In a series of heated Commons exchanges, the prime minister also said Michael Howard's policy was "unworkable".

But the Tory chief hit back, saying decisions on asylum would be taken in Britain, not Brussels, under a Conservative government.

Howard said he celebrated the contribution made by immigrants to British society.

And there was a rare agreement on the point, with Blair also saying that the country should welcome those "who can make a genuine contribution to this country".

Far off place

The prime minister, however, went on to criticise Conservative plans to hold asylum seekers in "some far off place" while decisions are made on whether to accept their claim.

"I think it is important that we tackle abuses, what I do not think is that we should go down the road that [Howard] has put forward of saying we should try to process asylum claims in some far off place which he has still not told us where it actually is," said Blair.

Howard responded by slamming a series of asylum policy U-turns made by the government.

"The prime minister talked about an unworkable immigration policy, so I'll tell him about an unworkable immigration policy," he said.

"It is when you introduce dispersal and then scrap it, when you bring in vouchers and then tear them up, when you describe a designated list as 'racist' and then reintroduce it six years later, it is when you connive in false applications for work permits, it's when you sack officials who tell the truth and cling to ministers who don't.

"That's an unworkable immigration policy and it's not mine, it's his."

EU control

The Conservative leader also said that powers over asylum laws were being handed over to the European Union.

But Blair insisted the UK "has not given up the right to set out own laws and patrol our own borders".

He said the UK should be part of a co-ordinated EU-wide system to stop "asylum shopping".

"The problem with asylum, as he well knows, is not the number of genuine refugees, it is people coming into this country claiming to be genuine refugees who are in fact economic migrants."

Out of control

Responding, the Conservative leader said that the government's policy was out of control.

"Under his government, there is no limit on immigration, there is no proper control of asylum, and control of our borders has been given away to Brussels," he told MPs.

"We will introduce a limit on immigration, a quota on asylum, 24 hour security in our ports and a points system for work permits.

"I think immigration should be made here in Britain, he thinks they should be made in Brussels."

Real issues

Blair said the real issue was stopping false claims and enforcing removals.

"We should have people into this country who can work and contribute something to this economy," he said.

"We should deal with the abuses of the asylum system.

"But what we should not do is end up putting forward unworkable, impractical solutions that would actually make the problem worse.

"And just for the record, no I am not accusing [Howard] of being a racist. He isn't a racist, he is just a shameless opportunist."