§ 16. Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)How many asylum seekers are currently detained under immigration laws. [53524]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Mike O'Brien)As at 30 September 1998, the most recent date for which information is available, a total of 760 persons who had sought asylum at any time were recorded as being detained solely under Immigration Act 1988 powers. No one is detained merely because he or she is an asylum seeker. Many of the detainees are asylum seekers who have been through the process and have been refused; they are being held for removal. No one recognised as a refugee under the United Nations convention is detained.
§ Mr. CorbynDoes the Minister agree that that is a very large figure—much larger than that of most European countries for people in detention under immigration law? Will he take a serious look at the conditions under which many people are held, the state of depression that many of them are suffering and the lack of adequate medical facilities that many of them experience while in detention? Does he not think that this is an expensive and ineffective way in which to assist people, many of whom are deeply traumatised by the experience of seeking asylum in the first place?
§ Mr. O'BrienHer Majesty's chief inspector of prisons has done a number of reports on detention. Following the publication of the White Paper in July, the Government said that they would introduce an element of judicial oversight to detention decisions in the form of an automatic bail hearing within a week of initial detention, followed by a second hearing for those not granted bail at the first. Detainees will also be given written reasons for their detention.
Following the reports into detention centres by the inspector, examinations and improvements are taking place in detention centres to ensure that those detainees who, regrettably, do have to be held are held in conditions that are satisfactory.
§ Sir Norman Fowler (Sutton Coldfield)On that White Paper, will the Minister guarantee that, in relation to the 30,000 applicants being considered under the special schemes that were announced by the Home Secretary, only genuine political refugees will be granted permission to stay in this country?
§ Mr. O'BrienThe previous Government left tens of thousands of asylum seekers in a backlog for six or more years, many of them on benefit, without the Home Office taking a decision on whether they were refugees. The Tory record was shameful. We are now clearly trying to tidy up the mess that we inherited from the Tories. The Government are opposed to any amnesty—it would be a reward for law breakers. Instead, we have set up two units to consider exceptional leave to remain for the 10,000 in the backlog from before 1993, whose cases have been denied justice through delay, and the 20,000 cases between 1993 and 1995. None of them has ever had his or her asylum case rejected. There is no amnesty. We will process those cases quickly and then consider the post-1995 asylum cases. Instead of scoring mere party political points, perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would apologise for his Government's shameful failure to deal with those issues.
§ Mr. David Winnick (Walsall, North)Is it not important that asylum seekers who have suffered 19 degrading treatment and torture should receive priority—people such as those who suffered terrible tortures day after day in Chile under Pinochet? Is it not interesting that, today and on previous days, Tory politicians have shown far more sympathy for Pinochet than for his many victims? Does that not say a lot about the modern Tory party?
§ Mr. O'BrienThe modern Tory party is a matter of great concern to many members of the modern Tory party, never mind hon. Members. I suspect that Conservative Members have all sorts of views on all sorts of issues, including Mr. Pinochet.