Immigration debate needs 'balance and perspective', says Blair

The Prime Minister has called for "a sense of balance and perspective" over the immigration issue.

Despite the resignation of Home Office Minister Beverley Hughes over a suspected immigration "scam" in Romania and Bulgaria, Mr Blair said that it was "absolutely clear" that the vast majority of inward and outward migration had been perfectly lawful.

Mr Blair made his comments at a press briefing in Downing Street following an 'immigration summit' with his Home Secretary David Blunkett.

In order to reinforce the messgae from today's Downing Street summit, Mr Blunkett has been touring the news studios over the past 24 hours with the message that it would be a mistake to encourage a 'Fortress Britain' approach to immigration.

Mr Blunkett said that, in order to raise public confidence dented by allegations of "scam" by departmental whistleblowers, the government would:

• ask the National Audit Office to review asylum statistics to ensure trust in the figures;
• set up task forces within the Home Office to accelerate and monitor the management change programme;
• and examine other specific areas of application where there's been concern such as bogus marriages and student applications.

The system should evolve and improve, but it was also important to remember that most immigrants enter the country legally and to the benefit of the economy, the Prime Minister said.

(gmcg)