Britain 'may abandon asylum rules'

Britain may abandon its obligations under European law for dealing with refugees if new measures to curb asylum-seeker numbers fail, Tony Blair signalled yesterday.

The Prime Minister raised the possibility amid fears that the asylum crisis is damaging race relations – and the Government's popularity.

He said the Government had introducedinitiatives designed to cut the influx of immigrants. But he warned: "If those measures don't work, then we will have to consider further measures, including looking at the obligations we have under the Convention on Human Rights. "The problem with removing people is that you cannot remove someone to a country where they might be subject to torture."

Article three of the convention stipulates that refugees cannot be returned to their home country if they are in danger of being tortured or treated brutally.

But ministers believe loopholes in the law have been exploited. Mr Blair condemned yesterday the "crazy" case of a former Taliban fighter resisting his return to Afghanistan because he would be arrested by peace-keeping forces there.

Whitehall sources said last night that reviewing the convention was a matter for the EU, but stressed there would be "no ideological bar" against a move to improve asylum controls. They also said international agreements controlling migration were drawn up nearly 50 years ago and were unfit for the modern world.

Ministers have faced accusations that Britain is a soft touch for asylum-seekers. In response, they have introduced a fast-track system for applicants from "safe" countries. Asylum-seekers have lost the automatic right to benefits, while claimants are finger-printed to make it harder for them to vanish.