MR Selway asks in his letter (July 15), why do refugees not seek asylum in the first friendly country they arrive at.

The answer is that they do this is precisely why the world's poorer countries bear responsibility for the largest number of refugees.

This is why a country such as Kenya has over twice as many refugees as the UK per 1,000 population and is of course considerably poorer. Pakistan has over three million refugees and Tanzania has over half a million.

There are reasons why some refugees want to seek asylum in Britain some have relatives here, some speak English, some see that Britain has low unemployment.

It is certainly not the prospect of generous benefits which attract them (a single adult currently gets £37.77 a week 30 per cent below the poverty line).

Mr Selway asks that I reply without 'hiding behind facts and figures or statistics'. I make no apology for using facts, figures and statistics to argue my case.

The danger is rather the reverse that the whole issue is discussed with no sense of perspective and on the basis of emotion and prejudice.

C THACKRAY

Kent Road

Swindon