HC Deb 22 May 1992 vol 208 cc318-20W
Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of Kurdish asylum seekers who have arrived in the United Kingdom since 1988; what is the determination of their cases; and how many are still outstanding.

Mr. Charles Wardle

[holding answer 20 May 1992]: Information on the ethnic origin of asylum applicants is not recorded but in the period since January 1988 the majority of Turkish applicants, and a considerable proportion of Iraqi applicants, have stated that they are Kurds.

Information on these nationalities is given in tables A and B.

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have entered the United Kingdom from Somalia in each month since January 1989; and what is the determination of their cases.

Mr. Charles Wardle

[holding answer 20 May 1992]: Information for the period 1 January 1989 to 30 April 1992 is given in the table. For monthly figures of applications since January 1991 I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to the two questions from the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Darling) on 21 May at columns 210–13.

Applications1 2 received for asylum in the United Kingdom by Somali nationals, excluding dependants, and decisions 1 2; totals for the period 1 January 1989 to 30 April 1992
Number
Applications received 6,195
Decisions3 4
Granted asylum 1,145
Granted exceptional leave 1,110
Refusals
Refused aslyum and exceptional leave5 85
Refused under para. 101 of immigration rules6 90
Total refused 175
Total decisions 2,430

Decisions1 2 in the period 1 July 1991 to 30 April 1992 on applications received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, by nationality
Provisional estimates of numbers of decisions on principal applicants
Refusals
Nationality Granted asylum Granted exceptional leave Total refused Refused asylum and exceptional leave Refused on third country grounds Refused under paragraph 101 of immigration rules3 Total decisions
Europe and Americas
Bulgaria * 25 15 10 25
Colombia * 10 10 5 * 5 20
Romania 15 30 15 5 10 40
Turkey 105 180 240 65 35 140 520
USSR 5 15 5 5 25
Others 10 5 65 20 30 15 75
Total 120 220 370 125 70 180 710
Africa
Angola * 5 1,325 185 15 1,130 1,335
Congo * 110 15 95 110
Ethiopia 15 150 65 5 10 50 235
Ghana 5 10 320 100 10 210 335
Nigeria * 45 70 5 20 45
Somalia 20 740 125 5 35 90 890
Sudan 30 10 70 * * 70 110
Togo/Ivory Coast 750 30 5 735 750
Uganda 5 35 120 30 5 80 160
Zaire 5 5 1,745 270 70 1,400 1,755
Others * 15 13,345 45 10 1,290 1,360
Total 85 970 6,025 690 170 5,165 7,080
Middle East
Iran 55 90 10 5 5 150
Iraq 60 125 20 5 10 5 205
Lebanon 10 60 25 10 5 5 95
Others 10 35 45 15 15 15 90
Total 135 310 100 40 30 30 540
Asia
China 10 45 15 10 5 70
India * 275 515 355 45 115 790
Pakistan * 230 380 255 5 120 610

1 Includes applications made in-country as well as at ports.

2 Provisional and estimated figures, rounded to the nearest 5.

3 Recent figures may understate because of delays in recording.

4 Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made between 1 January 1989 and 30 April 1992.

5 Includes refusals on the grounds that the applicant had arrived from a safe third country and, up to 30 November 1991, refusals under paragraph 101 of the immigration rules for failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period.

6 From 1 December 1991 only: see footnote5.

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