FIVE Americans applied for asylum in the first six months of this year. Some are believed to have claimed that they were the victims of racism in the US as a reason for their application, it emerged last night.

Rory Clarke, a former employee of the Government’s National Asylum Support Service, told The Sun: “A couple of years ago I met two black guys from the States who were over here because they could get a better standard of living. They claimed asylum because they said they were racially discriminated against at home. But they freely admitted that they were here for the free healthcare and accommodation.”

Under Home Office rules the US is regarded as a “safe third country” to which asylum applicants can be automatically returned to make their claim. Figures published this year show that there were 30,800 asylum applications in 2005, the lowest figure since 1997. However, only 13,730 failed applicants were removed.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “Provisional statistics show that in the first six months there have been five asylum applications from Americans. Any asylum claim may be fast-tracked where it appears, after screening, to be one that may be decided quickly.

“Countries likely to be suitable for this process include the USA. Applicants will be detained in one of a number of detention centres. This process is very successful at rapidly deciding and, where appropriate, quickly removing refused applicants whose appeal rights are exhausted.”

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