Rooker says dispersal policy 'will not be run by racists'

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Leading article: Britain should be shamed by its treatment of those seeking asylum here

The Government was forced on Tuesday to defend its policy of dispersing asylum-seekers amid accusations that "dumping" large numbers in northern cities had contributed to racial tension.

In a reference to clashes between refugees and a group of white residents on Glasgow's notorious Sighthill estate on Monday, the Home Office minister Jeff Rooker said current policy was "largely successful" and "would not be run by racists".

He said the Government does not plan to react to disorder in Glasgow and Hull, the scene of a second racially motivated stabbing at the weekend, by stemming the movement of about 30,000 asylum-seekers as part of strategy to ease the burden in the South-east.

Mr Rooker said: "We will not pull out of areas simply because people say it's an area where there could be racists. Only on police advice would we not use a particular area. Otherwise our policies would be run by the racists in this country and we're not going to have that."

His comments came as police on the Sighthill estate tried to defuse tension, which flared after the fatal stabbing on Sunday of Firsat Yildiz, a 22-year-old Kurdish asylum-seeker.

There are believed to be about 1,200 refugees on the estate amid a local population of 5,000. Residents and the local Labour MP, Michael Martin, called for a reduction in the number, but Glasgow City Council said more refugees were expected to move in shortly, despite recent events.