DOVER MP Gwyn Prosser says he fears the continuing presence of large numbers of asylum seekers in the town is in danger of sparking fresh outbreaks of violence.

The MP said that the presence of an induction centre, used to deal with newly-arrived asylum seekers, coupled with a rise in the number of unaccompanied minors was “stirring up all sorts of new tensions in the community"

The induction centre is in Folkestone Road, where traditionally large numbers of asylum seekers have been housed temporarily. The MP made his outspoken comments during a speech on the Government’s new Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill.

He attacked the Bill for offering too little practical help to address his constituency’s difficulties and said “serious pressures and problems” were building up in the town.

“If people were rational about such decisions, they would accept there is no need for a the removal centre to be in Dover and no reason for unaccompanied minors to be housed in the same street as the induction centre. That adds to our present problems,” he said.

“The presence of the centre is stirring up all sorts of new tensions in the community. We have seen such tensions in the past and they have spilled over into the streets of Dover and caused violence. We do not want that to happen again.”

He highlighted the fact that more than half of the children in care under Kent’s social services were asylum seekers and that numbers of unaccompanied minors – currently 1,400 - were rising monthly.

He stresed: "Some 100 to 150 come into the port of Dover every month and only last week 25 entered in one night. Unless…solutions can be found we will stoke up problems for the future and find ourselves heading into a crisis.”

“If Dover is a test bed of people’s tolerance towards asylum seekers, I regret to report that we are close to failing that test.”

Speaking after the debate, Mr Prosser said he was detecting feelings of resentment towards asylum seekers similar to those which sparked marches by the National Front two years ago.

The Home Secretary said he recognised Kent and Dover’s problems and pledged to look at ways of speeding up the induction process.