A RECORD number of people sought citizenship last year as the Government proposed tests to prove that applicants spoke English and had an understanding of British life.

The surge was largest among people from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The figures were published yesterday as David Blunkett admitted that the Government faced a “long hard haul” to convince the public that it had “got a grip on the asylum system”.

The Home Secretary spoke as asylum figures showed a downward trend with applications falling 20 per cent in the first quarter of the year.

The number of applicants and dependants dropped to 10,585 between January and March compared with 13,150 between October and December last year. Mr Blunkett said: “Within the bounds of not setting impossible targets, it’s my view that we can over the next few months get them down still further.”

Applications for citizenship rose by 21 per cent to reach a record 139,000 compared with a 6 per cent rise in 2002. The number granted citizenship was 124,315, of which more than half came from Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

A total of 426,000 people have applied for citizenship since 2000 and 416,000 have been granted it.

Last year the Home Office published proposals for immigrants to demonstrate a knowledge of British history before being given UK citizenship. The plans also meant that prospective citizens would have to pass basic tests in English language and undergo two-hour lessons about life in Britain. However, the proposals will not be formally adopted until the results of pilot schemes to be held later this year have been studied.

A review of asylum statistics said that the data in most respects was reliable. The study by the National Audit Office said there was no clear evidence that the recent fall in numbers of asylum seekers had pushed up other forms of migration. But the review said that in several ways the figures were “materially misleading”.

The Home Office’s total for asylum seekers receiving welfare and accommodation funded by the taxpayer omitted about 24,000 refugees, the report said. It also cast doubt on government statistics on the number of asylum seekers being deported.

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