§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum applicants have been removed to(a) Italy, (b) the Netherlands, (c) Belgium, (d) Germany and (e) France, following refusal of their application on safe third country grounds, since the implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act on 26 July 1993; and how many of those so removed have been returned to the United Kingdom by the authorities of the country concerned;
(2) how many asylum applicants, excluding dependants were removed from the United Kingdom following refusal of their application on safe third country grounds in 1993; and if he will provide a breakdown of those so removed, by nationality grounds and by country to which they were removed.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerInformation on the number of removals of asylum seekers whose applications were refused on safe third country grounds, by nationality, for 1993 is given in the table.
Information on the destination of persons removed after having their application for asylum refused on safe third country grounds and the number of those who were returned by the country removed to could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Number of asylum seekers whose applications were refused on safe third, country grounds and who were removed, excluding dependants, by nationality, 1993 Country Number Afghanistan 7 Albania 1 Algeria 14 Angola 21
Number of asylum seekers whose applications were refused on safe third country grounds and who were removed, excluding dependants, by nationality, 1993 Country Number Bangladesh 1 Brazil 3 Bulgaria 4 China 4 Colombia 6 Ethiopia 10 Former Soviet Union 6 Former Yugoslavia 12 Ghana 27 Hungary 3 India 12 Iran 2 Iraq 6 Ivory Coast 7 Jordan 1 Kuwait 2 Lebanon 16 Liberia 6 Libya 2 Morocco 2 Niger 2 Nigeria 11 Pakistan 12 Palestine 4 Poland 18 Romania 34 Saudi Arabia 1 Sierra Leone 10 Somalia 33 Sri Lanka 64 Sudan 6 Togo 1 Tunisia 1 Turkey 59 Uganda 4 United States of America 1 Zaire 25 Nationality doubtful 6 Total 467
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum in the United Kingdom were refused on safe third country grounds in 1994.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerIn 1994, 865 applications for asylum were refused on safe third country grounds.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will provide a breakdown of current costs to his Department associated with removing from the United Kingdom persons refused asylum on safe third country grounds;
(2) what was the total cost to his Department in the financial year 1993–94 of removing from the United Kingdom persons refused asylum on safe third country grounds.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerStaff costs relating to removing people refused asylum on safe third country grounds are not recorded separately, and details of escort, detention and removal costs relating to such cases are not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the available information suggests that in the majority of cases in which people were removed to safe third countries in the financial year 1993–94, the directions for removal would have been given to the680W inward carrier, who would have been responsible for the costs of escort and detention and for the removal itself.