Mr. Robert AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a breakdown of the number of asylum seekers currently detained under Immigration Act powers by(a) nationality, (b) gender, (c) length of detention, (d) place of detention and (e) immigration status at the time of application. [32071]
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerAs at 3 July 1995, a total of 690 persons who had at some stage sought asylum were detained. This figure includes people awaiting the setting of directions for removal following refusal of the application, as well as those whose applications were under consideration or subject to appeal. Of this figure, 199 had been in detention less than one month, 109 between one and two months, 255 between two and six months, 113 between six and 12 months, and 14 had been detained for longer than 12 months.
Information on the gender, immigration status, nationality and location of those detained as at 3 July 1995, is provided in tables 1 to 3.
Table 1: Number of people detained on 3 July 1995 who has sought asylum, by immigration status and gender Immigration status Male Female Total Port case 320 37 357 Illegal entrant case 273 7 280 Deportation case 49 4 53 Total 642 48 690 286W
Table 2: Number of people detained on 3 July 1995 who had sought asylum, by nationality Number Albania 10 Algeria 75 Angola 6 Bangladesh 14 Bulgaria 4 Cameroon 1 China 77 Colombia 5 Cyprus 3 Czech Republic 4 Dominica 1 Equador 1 Egypt 2 Ethiopia 2 Gambia 5 Georgia 1 Ghana 59 Guinea-Bissau 1 India 94 Iran 8 Iraq 1 Ivory Coast 3 Jamaica 7 Jordan 1 Kenya 5 Lebanon 3 Library 6 Liberia 5 Mauritius 1 Morocco 6 Nepal 1 Niger 1 Nigeria 123 Pakistan 24
Table 2: Number of people detained on 3 July 1995 who had sought asylum, by nationality Number Peru 1 Poland 3 Romania 23 Russia 8 Rwanda 1 Sierra Leone 2 Somalia 3 South Africa 3 Sri Lanka 23 Sudan 1 Tanzania 8 Togo 1 Tunisia 1 Turkey 19 Uganda 5 Former Yugoslavia 12 Zaire 11 Zambia 1 Nationality not known 4 Total 690
Table 3: Number of persons detained who have claimed asylum as at 3 July 1995, by place of detention. Place of detention Number detained Prisons/YOIs HMP Rochester 104 HMP Haslar 97 HMP Winson Green 45 HMP Greenock 26 HMP Wormwood Scrubs 9 HMP Bristol 5 HMP Belmarsh 3 HMP Brixton 3 HMYOI Brinsford 2 HMYOI Feltham 2 HMP Holloway 2 Other HM Prisons1 25 Total 323 Other places of detention Campsfield House 151 Harmondsworth 90 Gatwick Detention Centre 41 Dover Harbour Board 18 Queens Building 17 Newhaven 12 Stansted 8 Manchester Airport Detention Suite 2 Police Cells 28 Total 367 Grand total 690 1 May also include HM prisons already listed.
Mr. AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measurable benefit has been achieved by the increased use of Immigration Act powers of detention in asylum cases since 1993; at what financial cost; and if he will make a statement. [32052]
§ Mr. BakerIt is not possible to identify separately the cost of detaining asylum seekers as no distinction is made between these cases and others where a person is detained under Immigration Act powers. However, the overall cost of running the immigration detention estate, including escorting and related costs, was:
287W
- 1993–94 financial year—£7.46 million; and
- 1994–95 financial year—£11.35 million.
These figures reflect the greater number of places available in the immigration detention estate since the opening in November 1993 of Campsfield House.
The use of detention is an important factor in ensuring effective immigration control and its cost is offset by reclaiming money from carriers in appropriate cases.
Mr. AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 June,Official Report, column 382, what was the period in working days between receipt of the appeal and promulgation of the determination of the appeal in (a) without foundation cases and (b) substantive cases in the first quarter of 1995; and if he will provide the corresponding figures for each quarter of 1994. [32068]
§ Mr. BakerThe information requested is shown in the table:
Average time taken1 (in working days) to determine appeals against refusal of asylum, by type of refusal, January 1994 to March 1995 Without foundation appeals Substantive appeals 1994 January—March 34 days 54 days April—June 42 days 58 days July—September 40 days 80 days October—December 45 days 92 days 1995 January—March 40 days 116 days 1 The time period referred to is the number of working days between the date the appeal is sent to the Independent Appellate Authority and the date of its determination. It does not include the time taken by the Home Office to process and despatch the appeal to the IAA.