§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the policy of detaining certain asylum seekers in prisons; [32776]
(2) if he will make it his policy to have immigration officers' decisions to detain asylum seekers in prison reviewed by an independent adjudicator after they have spent seven days in detention; and if he will make a statement. [32774]
§ Miss WiddecombeDetention is carried out under the powers contained in the Immigration Act 1971. The overriding consideration is whether the overseas national is likely to comply with any restrictions upon him, including any arrangements for his removal from the country.
Wherever possible, Immigration Act detainees, including asylum seekers, are held in immigration service detention centres. Prisons are used only when no places are available in an immigration service detention centre, or where the detainee is unsuitable for detention in these establishments. Immigration detainees in prisons are generally held separately or with unconvicted prisoners and are accorded the same privileges as those on remand.
Currently, any detainee who has an appeal outstanding, or who has been detained for more than seven days for further examination having sought entry to the United Kingdom, may apply to the independent appellate authorities for bail. The Asylum and Immigration Bill contains provision to extend bail rights to everyone detained under Immigration Act powers.
§ Mr. CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what occasions over the last 12 months asylum detainees have been confined to their cells continuously for 48 hours; what were the reasons for such continuous confinements; and if he will make a statement. [32775]
§ Miss WiddecombeBetween 1 June 1995 and 31 May 1996, 54 immigration detainees were found guilty of an offence against prison discipline and given a punishment of cellular confinement of two days or more. Prison Service records do not distinguish between those who had sought asylum and those who had not. That information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
535W
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of the number of asylum seekers currently detained under Immigration Act powers by(a) nationality, (b) gender, (c) place of detention, (d) length of detention and (e) immigration status at the time of application; and if he will indicate how many of these detainees' asylum applications have (i) yet to be determined, (ii) been refused with an appeal pending and (c) been refused and the appeal been refused. [33267]
§ Mr. KirkhopeThe information requested is in the tables.
Table 1: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 May and 7 June 19961,2 who had sought asylum at some stage, by gender and immigration status Port Illegal entrants Deport Total Male 418 247 32 697 Female 44 9 1 54 Total 462 256 33 751 1These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution. 2Illegal entrants and deports figures relate to 31 May, port figures to 7 June 1996.
Table 2: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 May and 7 June 19961,2 who had sought asylum at some stage, by stage of application Stage of application Total number detained Awaiting initial decision 181 Awaiting result of appeal 400 Awaiting removal after refusal 170 Total 751 1These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution. 2Illegal entrants and deports figures relate to 31 May, port figures to 7 June 1996. 536W
Table 3: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 May and 7 June 19961 2 who had sought asylum at some stage, by length of detention and immigration status Length Total number detained 0–1 month1 201 1–2 months 133 2–6 months 287 6–12 months 112 12 months+ 18 Total 751 1 These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution. 2Illegal entrants and deports figures relate to 31 May, port figures to 7 June 1996.
Table 4: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 May and 7 June 19961,2 who had sought asylum at some stage, by nationality and immigration status Nationality Total number detained Nigeria 105 India 96 Algeria 72 Ghana 52 Turkey 39 Sri Lanka 38 Zaire 34 Gambia 29 Pakistan 29 China Peoples' Republic of 26 Romania 23 Yugoslavia 19 Bangladesh 17 Iran 13 Angola 12 Colombia 11 Lithuania 11 Ecuador 8 Somalia 8 Afganistan 7 Ivory Coast 6 Czechoslovakia 6 Albania 5 Ethiopia 5 Jamaica 5 Liberia 5 Poland 5 Russia 5 Sierra Leone 5 Uganda 5 Kenya 4 Tanzania 4 Lebanon 3 Bulgaria 2 Cameroon 2 Cyprus 2 Georgia 2 Montenegro 2 Niger 2 Sudan 2 Zimbabwe 2 Others 19 Nationality doubtful 4 Total 751 1These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution. 2Illegal entrants and deports figures relate to 31 May, port figures to 7 June 1996. 537W
Table 5: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 May and 7 June 19961 2 who had sought asylum at some stage, by location of detention and immigration status Prisons Total number detained HMP Rochester 145 HMP Haslar 103 HMP Birmingham 33 HMP Wormwood Scrubs 15 HMP Greenock 11 HMP Magilligan 8 HMP Bristol 4 HMP Wandsworth 4
Table 5: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 May and 7 June 19961 2 who had sought asylum at some stage, by location of detention and immigration status Prisons Total number detained HMP Doncaster 3 HMP Armley 2 HMP Chelmsford 2 Others 22 Other places of detention Campsfield House 156 Harmondsworth 83 Gatwick Apt Det Suite 44 Police Cells 26 Dover Harbour PS 24 Queens Building 15 Tinsley House 13 Manchester Apt Det Suite 11 Port 10 Stansted Apt Det Suite 8 Dover West 2 Others 7 Total 751 1These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution. 2Illegal entrant and deports figures relate to 31 May, port figures to 7 June 1996.