The UK has an honourable tradition of providing asylum to anyone suffering persecution in another country and long may it continue.

However, the majority of those flooding in from Eastern Europe and the Balkans are not in need of asylum.

As many will admit, they are economic migrants drawn to this overcrowded island in the belief that it represents El Dorado. The belief is understandable. On arrival, they are given a considerable sum of money, free accommodation and access to healthcare from an NHS which is so overstretched that it keeps elderly Britons waiting several months or years for pain-relieving surgery.

Contrast this with the approach of our European partners.

In France, there is no access to state benefits while Germany holds these migrants in closed camps while their applications for asylum are processed.

The Government must act before the conflicts seen in Dover become more widespread.

Throughout the country, the Ministry of Defence owns thousands of habitable empty homes situated on unused bases and airfields. With very little effort these could be brought into service.

'Smart' ID cards should be issued to all asylum seekers with it being a criminal offence to destroy or tamper with the card. Loss of the card would result in the holder going to the back of the processing queue.

It should also be made clear that anti-social behaviour, as seen in Dover, will not be tolerated and that, on conviction, offenders will automatically be repatriated.

We are part of Europe and it should be possible for member states to agree a common policy to deal with this difficult problem. Only when the UK ceases to appear infinitely more attractive than other countries will the flood of asylum- seekers moderate.

Dr A H Brown,

Stonefield Avenue,

Easingwold, York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.