55 Algerians sought asylum in United Kingdom

The UK received 55 Algerian asylum applications in April-June 2009. 50 of these asylum seekers are already settled in the UK while 5 attempted to enter the country, First Secretary in charge of Migration affairs Sandy Belfitt said Wednesday.

• A total of 30 applications were rejected while 15 were withdrawn and 5 rejected because the applicants were living in another country, she told journalists.
• She also said 11,000 Algerians have applied for visa to the UK since January. Of them, 60 percent were accepted. In 2008, the number of applications was estimated at 16,000. Of them, 80 percent were accepted.
• She added that the UK government raised the number of detention centres compared to last year in order to increase the number of detainees pending for repatriation.
• Sandy Belfitt said she went to the UK to know what was happening to the Algerian illegal migrants and find out means to help them.
• She worked with agents from the UK Border Agency, representatives from the Algerian consulate and leader of the Algerian community in the UK.
• Speaking about her work in Algeria, she said she aims at working with the Algerian government to reach an agreement on repatriation. “The problem is that there is no clear process.”