THE number of foreign nationals deported from Swindon almost doubled in the past year, according to figures obtained by the Adver.

The total, relating to adults who have been forcibly removed from the town, rose from 15 in 2010 to 25 last year. The numbers included 15 people classed as ‘overstayers’ and 10 failed asylum seekers.

The information was released by the Home Office in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

In the two years previous, the bulk of deportations concerned failed asylum seekers, but people with criminal convictions were also removed.

In 2009, cases included a seaman who had deserted and another listed as ‘document abuse’.

At the same time the number of visits to the town’s Harbour Project drop-in service hit the highest level in 10 years.

Documents submitted by the group to the Charities Commission show the number reached more than 7,000 between 2010 and 2011.

The report states: “Despite an unchanging position in funding, the project has kept apace with the increase in the number of users and visitors, brought about by wordly events.”

The main country of origin for visitors was Somalia, which accounted for 19.3 per cent of all people using the service.

The war-torn nation was followed by Afghanistan, Eritrea, the Congo, Iraq, Kenya, Iran, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Holland. The project recorded visitors from 171 other countries at the service it runs from St Luke's Church in Broad Street.

Between 2002 and 2003, two years after the service was set up in response to the Kosovo crisis, less than 1,000 visits were recorded.

Most of the charity’s work last year concerned immigration, including chasing up queries with the UK Border Agency and writing letters of explanation.

The project also dealt with benefits, including delays and stoppages, employment and consumer issues, such as help with mobile phone contracts or TV licenses.

Campaigners argue that Government cuts are making immigration cases harder to pursue through the courts.

Lisa Matthews, southern co-ordinator for the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, said: “The UKBA’s decision-making on asylum and immigration cases is notoriously poor, and with cuts to legal aid, access to justice is steadily declining.

“This means that people in need of protection or with clear human rights grounds to stay in the UK are having their cases wrongly decided by UKBA, and then find it impossible to challenge these poor decisions in the courts. This increase represents so many more lives ruined by a dysfunctional system.”

The Government has promised to tighten up immigration since the row which ensued when the UKBA was found to have relaxed security checks last year.

A report released by a cross-party Parliamentary committee yesterday found the agency was still not getting a grip on cases.

But Immigration Minister Damian Green said the UKBA had improved from a state of ‘complete chaos’ when the Government took over two years ago.

He said: “It is getting better slowly — probably more slowly than most people would want. Some areas are getting better faster than others.”

A Home Office spokeswoman said the department could not comment on specific figures, but that loop holes in immigration rules were being closed by the Government.

A UKBA spokeswoman said: “Our rules are clear. Individuals who have no right to be in the UK are expected to leave, or they will be removed.

“Where an individual fails to leave the UK voluntarily, the UK Border Agency will seek to take enforcement action in order to preserve the integrity of the immigration control.”