ASYLUM seekers who do not live by Home Office guidelines are having their benefits blocked.
The Home Office said 15 of East Lancashire's 380 asylum seekers had had their payments stopped.
Benefits can, according to a government spokesman, be halted for a variety of reasons.
The spokesman added: "An asylum seeker living in this country is expected to follow certain requirements.
"They cannot work while their claim is being processed. If they did they would have benefits stopped."
Statistics revealed this week show that Blackburn with Darwen has more asylum seekers than anywhere else in East Lancashire.
The borough has more than 300, which is less than half of its total last year.
Darwen MP Janet Anderson said although figures were falling, more needed to be done to reduce the number.
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