A GROUP of MPs has accused the British Border Agency of being “not fit for purpose” because it has rejected so very few of the 75,000 applications for political asylum.

They are right in the accusation, but where are the main faults and reasons? There are still something like 450,000 asylum claims still not dealt with, going back to the 1980s.

The Border Agency admit that it has no idea where many of the claimants are, whether or not they are still in Britain, have left or are dead.

Our Government and our councils know what we tip into our wheelie bins; they know whether someone is wrongly claiming for their child to go to a school outside the catchment area in which they live, but they cannot trace immigrants and asylum seekers.

They could, but they are terrified of being accused of racism and religious intolerance, and so they have, in effect, allowed an amnesty for illegal asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. Our politicians are wet, and our people are far too tolerant.

David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Acomb, York.