Letter: Inflexibility of asylum rules

Sir: We note the calls from, among others, the Labour Party, the UN High Commission for Refugees and the media to 'be flexible' with regard to asylum regulations under the UN Convention for Yugoslavs entering the UK through a third country.

We assume that the same flexibility is also being called for where non-Europeans entering through a third country are concerned - under the same 'spirit of international burden sharing' ('International outrage at deportations', 13 August).

Unless, of course, this is a 'white spirit', in which case refugees from Somalia, Zaire, Iraq, Uganda, and other black countries, who are all in as deep a crisis situation as those from Yugoslavia, will continue to come up against stern and inflexible asylum regulations.

Yours faithfully,

KATE JESSOP

Immigration and Nationality

Working Party

Law Centres Federation

London, W1

13 August