NORTH Thanet MP Roger Gale, who has campaigned for tighter controls over economic migration into the United Kingdom, has described the Government`s imposed withdrawal of benefit payments to asylum seekers from countries now in the EU as "inhumane".

Speaking at Westminster, the Conservative party vice-chairman said: “I have long believed that this Government`s asylum and immigration policy is in tatters and that there are many people now living in the country and claiming benefits who should not be here at all.

“Nevertheless, we have to accept that as a result of the failure of government policy there are many hundreds - possibly thousands - who have settled here. They are families with young children and to summarily pull the financial rug from under them is inhumane.”

Mr Gale said he has recently been dealing with the case of a family with two children who came from a country that is now a member of the EU and who have had from May 1 all their funding withdrawn.

He said they received a Home Office letter in which they are told that they may return to their own country or they may seek work.

He said: “The Home Office appears to have overlooked the fact that their documents are with them as part of the asylum claim process and that Jobcentres will not assist in the search for legitimate employment without the production of a work permit.

“I am wholly in favour of those who are now EU citizens and who wish to work being enabled to do so. I am equally in favour of assisting those who may wish to return to their own countries - but to withdraw all assistance before adequate alternative options are in place is ridiculous.

“We are faced with the prospect of families being evicted from rented accommodation while the Home Office tells them to “make arrangements to leave" without the necessary papers to do anything other than to live on the streets and beg or to join the black economy.

“Is that seriously what this Home Secretary wishes to achieve? We must introduce proper transitional measures while documents are returnrned - otherwise to what addresses will the necessary papers be sent?"