§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the number of claims for political asylum which have not yet been decided and which date from(a) 1990, (b) 1991, (c) 1992, (d) 1993, (e) 1994 and (f) 1995;[3641]
(2) how many applications for political asylum dating from before 1990 have not yet been decided. [3631]
§ Mr. KirkhopeThe number of asylum applications awaiting an initial decision as at 31 October 1995 was 66,655. The available information on the years in which these applications were made is given in the table.
Proportion of total number of asylum applications awaiting initial decisions as at 31 October 1995, by year of application. Year of application Percentage pre 1991 5 1991 15 1992 15 1993 15 1994 25 1995 25
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals against a decision to refuse political asylum on the grounds that the applicants have visited a third country were received in the last year for which figures are available; and how many were(a) upheld and (b) dismissed. [3633]
§ Mr. KirkhopeThe information requested for without foundation appeals—the majority of which are against refusals on the grounds that the applicant had arrived from a safe third country—is given in table 8.4 of Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1994", issue 15/95. A copy of this publication is available in the Library.
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§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for political asylum have been received from applicants fleeing countries affected by civil war; and how many of such applications were successful, in each year since 1990. [3635]
§ Mr. KirkhopeAsylum applications are considered on the individual merit of each case. The basis for an application is not centrally recorded, so the number of those lodged directly as a result of civil wars is not available.
Information regarding asylum applications, by nationality, for the years 1986 to 1994 is given in table 2.1 of Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1994", issue 15/95, a copy of which can be found in the Library. Tables 3.1 to 3.3 of this publication gives decisions on asylum applications, by nationality, for the same time period.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries are currently classified as undergoing or having undergone events likely to give rise to a well-founded fear of persecution among the nationals of those countries. [3637]
§ Mr. KirkhopeUnder proposals on which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security has been consulting for restricting the benefit entitlement of asylum seekers, it will be possible for the Benefits Agency to be notified in the event of a future fundamental upheaval in a country such that persons cannot normally be returned to it for the time being.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applications for political asylum by applicants with dependent children were refused in the last year for which figures are available; and how many dependent children were involved; [3639]
(2) how many applications for political asylum by unaccompanied minors were received for the last year for which figures are available; and how many were (a) successful and (b) rejected. [3638]
§ Mr. KirkhopeThe available information on the number of asylum applications which were refused in 1994, both including and excluding dependants, is given in table 1.2 of Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1994", issue 15/95, a copy of which can be found in the Library. The available information on applications from unaccompanied children is given in table 2.4 of the same publication. A more detailed breakdown of these figures is not available.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average time taken to process an application for political asylum for the latest year for which figures are available; [3640]
(2) what is the average number of hours taken to decide an application for political asylum from the receipt of the application to a decision. [3632]
§ Mr. KirkhopeI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) on 21 November 1995,Official Report, column 219, which provided the available information on the average times involved in deciding applications for asylum.
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§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for political asylum were dismissed as frivolous and vexatious under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1993; and how many of these cases went to appeal and how many appeals were successful, in the last year for which figures are available. [3634]
§ Mr. KirkhopeThe information requested is not available.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for political asylum have been received from applicants from(a) Croatia, (b) Serbia, (c) Bosnia, (d) the Sudan and (e) Rwanda; and how many were successful in each case since 1990. [3636]
§ Mr. KirkhopeInformation regarding asylum applications from nationals of Sudan and the former Yugoslavia for the years 1986 to 1994 is given in table 2.1 of Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1994", issued 15/95, a copy of which can be found in the Library. Tables 3.1 to 3.3 of this publication give decisions on asylum applications, by nationality, for the same time period.
In 1994, there were an estimated 110 applications from nationals of Rwanda. During the same time period there were approximately 15 decisions on Rwandan applications, of which five were granted asylum and 10 were refused.
Information on applications from the individual states of the former Yugoslavia, and one of those from Rwanda prior to 1994, is not available.
§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the situation in(a) Somalia (b) Liberia, (c) Nigeria, (d) Sierra Leone, (e) Sri Lanka and (f) Rwanda for the purposes of allowing asylum applications. [3682]
§ Mr. KirkhopeAsylum applications are considered in accordance with the 1951 convention, taking account of available information from a wide range of sources about the position in the country of origin and its significance for the particular application in question.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a breakdown of the number of asylum seekers currently held in detention by(a) nationality, (b) gender, (c) length of detention, (d) place of detention and (e) immigration status at the time of application. [1523]
§ Mr. Kirkhope[holding answer 23 November 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) on 28 November 1995, Official Report, column 655, which gave a breakdown of asylum seekers held in detention.