Blair faces revolt on asylum children

Tony Blair today faces a flaring revolt over the latest attempt to tighten the rules on asylum seekers.

Almost 30 Labour MPs have signed a Commons motion protesting against the threat that the children of failed asylum seekers could be taken into care.

The strength of opposition will be tested when the Asylum Immigration Treatment of Claimants Bill is debated for the first time this afternoon.

But with Tories and Liberal Democrats condemning the plan, the measure could hit serious trouble when it goes into its detailed committee stage in the Commons.

Home Secretary David Blunkett has said that children would be removed only in cases where failed asylum seekers had refused to return home and their benefits were withdrawn under the terms of the Bill.

But the objectors protested that it was wrong for the Government to split families after having effectively driven them into poverty.

The cross- party home affairs committee warned that the threat could drive failed asylum seekers " underground".

They said the plan should not come into effect until MPs were convinced it would not lead to "significant numbers" of children being taken into care.

The Liberal Democrats' spokesman Mark Oaten called the proposal "a step too far".