§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum have been refused on safe third country grounds since(a) 1 January and (b) 1 September. [7810]
§ Mr. KirkhopeA total of 1,390 principal applicants were refused asylum on safe third country grounds between 1 January and 30 November 1996; of these 530 were refused in the months of September, October and November.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers, having been refused asylum on safe third country grounds, have been removed or have made a voluntary departure from the United Kingdom in each month since 1 January; [7809]
(2) how many asylum seekers, having been refused asylum on safe third country grounds, were removed or made a voluntary departure from the United Kingdom in (a) 1994 and (b) 1995. [7813]
§ Mr. KirkhopeThe information requested is given in the table. The information for 1996 is provisional.
Number of removals and voluntary departures of those refused asylum on safe third country grounds, 1994–95, January to October 1996 Year Number of removals/voluntary departures (safe third country cases) 1994 403 1995 419 19961 January 34 February 33 March 21 April 33 May 31 June 25 July 28 August 30 September 58 October 66 1996, Year to date 359 1 Provisional figures.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals against a refusal of asylum are currently being processed by his Department; and how many appeals against a refusal of asylum, having been processed by his Department and dispatched to the immigration appellate authority, are awaiting determination by the immigration appellate authority. [7811]
§ Mr. KirkhopeAs at 31 October, there were 1,230 asylum appeals awaiting validation and preparation by the Asylum Directorate and 19,600 appeals awaiting a hearing by the Immigration Appellate Authority.