Southend council leader Charles Latham has given firm backing to "get tough" tactics proposed for asylum seekers.

Under a scheme announced by Home Secretary Jack Straw yesterday (Tuesday), refugees would be restricted to claiming asylum in the first safe country they reach.

It would largely prohibit them from asking for refuge in western Europe.

Mr Straw will also urge the international community to devise a more up-to-date definition of "asylum" and mark out the dividing line between economic migration and asylum.

The proposals have been welcomed by Mr Latham - but he warned they must be backed with firm action.

He said: "I support what Jack Straw is saying. We've been making the point to the Government for some time that the rules must be toughened up.

"But talk is cheap - this needs to be backed up by action."

It was also thought Jack Straw would propose a revamp of the 1951 United Nations convention on refugees, which critics claim was "designed for a different age and must be updated".

The Home Secretary's speech, delivered yesterday in London, follows a pledge by the Prime Minister to target gangs involved in people trafficking.

However, parliamentary figures have warned that genuine asylum seekers must still enjoy a fair and just hearing and be welcomed to the country.

The asylum seeker system has proved a thorny issue in south Essex amid claims Southend had become a "dumping ground" for refugees.

By Chris Weeks

Reporter's e-mail: chris.weeks@notes.newsquest.co.uk

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