HC Deb 10 July 1990 vol 176 cc133-5W
Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will provide a breakdown by nationality of the numbers of passengers seeking political asylum who were detained under Immigration Act powers in 1989 in(a) prison department establishments and (b) immigration detention accommodation;

(2) how many passengers seeking political asylum in (a) 1988, (b) 1989 and (c) 1990 up to the nearest available date were granted temporary admission.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance in order to seek asylum in the United Kingdom were(a) received and (b) granted, by country, during 1989 and the first quarter of 1990.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Information on applications for asylum in the United Kingdom made abroad is given in the table:

Applications for asylum in the United Kingdom received by British

posts abroad and referred to the Home Office for decision1, and

grants of refugee status, by nationality (provisional estimates2)

Number of persons
Applications received Grants of asylum3
Nationality 1989 First quarter 1990 1989 First quarter 1990
Afghanistan *
Angola 5
China * * * *
Czechoslovakia 5
Ethiopia 15 * 5 5
Ghana 5 * *
India 15 *
Iran 10 5 10
Iraq 15 10
Lebanon 5
Libya *
Malawi *
Malaysia *
Romania *
Somalia 75 5 50 10
South Africa * *
Sri Lanka 115 15 *
Sudan * *
Turkey 225 30 5
Uganda 110 * *

Applications received Grants of asylum3
Nationality 1989 First quarter 1990 1989 First quarter 1990
Zaire 15 * 5
Zimbabwe *
Nationality uncertain * * 5 *
Total 615 35 135 25
1 In addition a further 65 applications in 1989, and 20 in the first quarter of 1990, largely by nationals of Afghanistan were made to the British High Commission in New Delhi, and are being processed locally. No grants of asylum were made during this time.
2 Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with "*" = 1 or 2.
3 Grants in the time periods shown do not necessarily relate to applications made in those periods.