He said most asylum-seekers claimed not to have the relevant papers, even though many would have needed them for their journey to Britain. Mr Blunkett said: “The fact is, many destroy them en route because traffickers tell them it’s their best chance of staying in the UK – by making fraudulent claims and making it difficult to remove them if their claims fail Most of the time, people need documents to travel. They would face a maximum jail sentence of two years, followed by deportation. There were suggested that the clampdown could be illegal.Under the proposals, expected to be included in an Asylum Bill in the Queen’s Speech next month, asylum-seekers who cannot provide a credible reason for being without documents, or who refuse to co- operate with immigration officers trying to provide them with new documents, could be prosecuted. Asylum-seekers who destroy their travel documents in a ploy to stay in Britain will be jailed for up to two years, David Blunkett announced yesterday.
As part of a final batch of reforms to the asylum system, the Home Secretary also set out new powers that will put out of business legal advisers who encourage unwarranted claims for refugee status.Refugee groups denounced the move as an attack on the victims of human traffickers rather than the traffickers themselves.

Mr Letwin said he would “under no circumstances ever” run for leadership of the party.. “And it can only be closed if he gets a formal vote of confidence It means his position can’t be opened up for a year. Then, of course, that is so close to a general election a change is unthinkable.”Oliver Letwin, the shadow Home Secretary, ruled himself out of any leadership contest. “There can’t be closure until it is formally closed,” he told the BBC. How many ‘tomorrows’ are they allowed?” Another senior Central Office source said: “Turning things round will take time but it can be done and, if the names don’t appear this week, we hope that will signal a new start among both the media and MPs.”But one of the rebel MPs, Crispin Blunt, said last night that Mr Duncan Smith’s arbitrary deadline would not end the crisis.

One aide said: “You guys should realise that you can’t trust people who keep saying every day they will have enough numbers ‘tomorrow’. If, as I expect, no vote of confidence has been called, then there, together as a party, we can draw a line under this whole affair.”Mr Duncan Smith’s aides said last night that they expected the media to turn on the plotters if they failed to get the required 25 names by tomorrow night’s meeting of the 1922 Committee. The party should resolve the current uncertainty over his position in an “honourable, honest and open way”, he said “I want Wednesday’s meeting to be a historic event. But I am confident that my parliamentary colleagues, our party members and all fair-minded people will insist that my detractors accept that their game is over,” he said. The letters could also automatically cease to be active in the process after one month.Yesterday, Mr Duncan Smith made clear that he would seek to win a vote of confidence if 25 names materialised this week.”Equally, if the 25 names are not forthcoming, I will expect my party to call a halt to this most damaging episode Of course, I cannot compel the plotters to quit the field. That doesn’t mean removing the right of the parliamentary party to challenge the leader but it does mean getting rid of the barmier aspects of the current system,” one MP said yesterday.A rule change could involve giving MPs a certain time period, say two weeks, at a set point in the parliamentary year in which to hand in letters.