NEWPORT is taking “much more than its fair share” of asylum seekers in need of financial support, an MP has claimed.

Paul Flynn, Labour MP for Newport West, quizzed Immigration Minister James Brokenshire at a select committee meeting on why the city had seven times the number of asylum seekers as the national average.

He also asked again why ‘gang leader’ Joland Giwa had been moved to Newport on immigration bail when he had no links to the city.

The MP asked Mr Brokenshire: “The number of asylum seekers in receipt of financial support in Newport, my constituency, is 391.

“The number in your constituency, Old Bexley & Sidcup, is 33. The number in the Home Secretary’s constituency is one. Newport takes seven times the number of asylum seekers as the national average. Why is that?”

The minister said the number of asylum seekers in each constituency came down to agreements and arrangements with councils.

Mr Flynn added: “The reward the Newport people get for being very accommodating, very welcoming, very hospitable to migrants, is to dump Mr Giwa on the city. Mr Giwa is from London.

“He was convicted and served a long sentence as a gang leader... the judge said this man is a threat to society and should be deported.

“He wasn’t deported; he was dumped on Newport and has been there for many months. In the summer, he was arrested in a children’s park in possession of illegal drugs. What do you say to that? Are you proud of your record on Mr Giwa?”

Mr Brokenshire responded: “I would certainly want to see this man removed from our shores. One of the challenges is this issue of documentation and identification of which nationality this individual is.

“In that case that is still an issue, on which nation is prepared to accept him. I absolutely recognise your frustration and exasperation at this man within your community. It is these obstacles we often have to deal with.”

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Flynn added: “We have been carrying much more than our fair share in Britain (of asylum seekers getting financial support). It has gone up considerably.

“In 2004, Newport had 0.57 per cent of the total. By 2010 that had risen to 0.78 per cent and is now 1.46 per cent.

“Many asylum seekers have settled very well and become part of Newport, and the city has been very hospitable. But there have been problems from time to time and there are likely to be problems with people integrating.”