THE number of asylum seekers living in Liverpool has fallen by almost 30pc, new figures have revealed. But Merseyside charity workers last night said the statistics are misleading and claim there are more refugee families in the region than ever. There are 1,350 asylum seekers living in National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodation in Liverpool compared to 1,925 last year. The annual statistics released by the Home Office also revealed a 24pc decrease in Sefton, and no change in the number living in Wirral and Cheshire. A Home Office spokesman last night claimed the decrease was due to a speeding up of asylum claims and removing more people whose claims had failed. But Ed Murphy, chair of the Mersey-side Refugee Network, said: "There are still as many people seeking asylum in this city as last year. "There are no fewer wars, famine or pestilence than 12 months ago." Mr Murphy believes that a large number of asylum seekers who arrive in Liverpool are not being included in the figures because they miss a 72-hour deadline in which to register their claim. Under the Nationality and Immigration Act, which was introduced a year ago, refugees who do not register a claim for asylum within three days can be denied NASS accommodation and support. But Mr Murphy believes dozens miss the deadline because the Immigration office in Liverpool's Water Street, which processes all applications in the North West, refuses to see any single asylum seekers, who have not travelled with their families, after 1pm. Rashid Iqbal, manager of Toxtethbased Refugee Action, said the strict rules are forcing asylum seekers into illegal work. Next year's figures for Liverpool are expected to be boosted by the arrival of 60 families on the run from bloody civil wars in west Africa, The families would stay in Liverpool on a tempo-rary basis. The Home Office figures published yesterday showed that nationally asylum applications fell 41pc last year to 49,370, excluding dependants. IMMIGRANTS LIMIT WARNING BRITAIN'S plans to limit benefits for immigrants from eight new EU member states may break European Union law, the Brussels Commission warned yesterday. Following talks with Commission President Romano Prodi, a spokesman said concern was growing - not just about the British arrangements but also about restrictions being put in place in most member states. The spokesman said: "I have seen Mr Prodi today and he is concerned. "We are looking into this issue and we will have to verify whether all these measures are compatible with EU law." But the British Government spokesman said: "We are completely confident of our legal arguments." | 
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