The government has responded to claims in the media that up to 40,000 asylum seekers will be allowed to stay in the United Kingdom because it would be too difficult to return them to their home countries.

Phil Woolas, Border and Immigration Minister, said:

'There is no amnesty.

'Our guidelines were updated to provide case workers with a simple framework to judge cases, and to avoid long drawn out court battles.

'No lawbreaker will be allowed to say, and each case is still decided on its individual merits.

'The UK Border Agency continues to ramp up performance and is concluding several thousand cases a month.