International Roundup

A study of Home Office figures by British think tank Migrationwatch UK found that more than eight in 10 refugees whose asylum applications were denied remain in the country illegally. The study indicates that 200,000 asylum seekers remain in the country illegally, and that the rate of deportation for those refused asylum is falling, despite government assurances to the contrary. While the number of asylum seekers has fallen 34% over last year, so has the rate of deportations for those refugees whose applications are denied.

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More than 300 absentee voter applications filed by Filipinos working overseas in the UAE have been recalled as incomplete. Early arrivals who registered in August failed to sign all the appropriate portions of the application form because at that time local officials deputized by the Philippines Commission on Elections (Comelec) were not properly instructed, according to The Gulf News. Some confusion also arose from applicants who had already registered as voters in the Philippines. According to Comelec, those who registered before June 14, 1997 are not considered registered voters.

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Italy's secret services say there is evidence that terrorist groups such as Al Qaida are becoming involved human trafficking schemes, in order to fund terrorist activities and smuggle militants into terrorist groups internationally.

In recent talks with US Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, Italian Interior minister Giuseppe Pisanu said it is "likely that al Qaeda has worked its way into the trafficking, managing the flow of illegal immigrants from Muslim countries. In such a way, al Qaeda can diversify its sources of funding and evade intelligence gatherers."

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French officials filed a complaint with Austrila this week over their handling of a 23-year-old Frenchman accused of traveling on a false passport. According the a French consulate official's report, Mahamadou Sacko, a French-born student of African descent, flew to Australia for a seven-week English language course at an institute in Sydney, where he was detained by immigration officers and accused of traveling on a fake passport. Sacko was detained and interrogated for four days, officials said. Sacko told reporters he was questioned about French geography and politics and made to sing the French national anthem. "They held me for four days, they made up charges against me and they destroyed my passport," Sacko said.