§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people sought asylum in the84W United Kingdom in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of trends in these figures over the last 10 years. [14353]
§ Mr. KirkhopeThe total number of asylum applications in 1995 was 43,965. Information on applications made in 1986 to 1994 is published in table 2.1 of the Home Office statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 1994", issue 15/95. A copy of this publication is available in the Library.
There has been a massive increase in the number of asylum applications received since 1988. The 1995 figure is nearly as high as the peak figure of 1991, which included a significant proportion of multiple applications made by individuals under different names. It represents a 34 per cent. increase on 1994 and is nearly double the figure for 1993. The upward trend underlines the need for the firm action the Government are taking to deter unfounded applications.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications were refused and certified as being without foundation on the grounds that the asylum claim was frivolous or vexatious in(a) 1994 and (b) 1995. [15541]
§ Miss WiddecombeProvisional estimates indicate that, in 1994, between 300 and 400 asylum applications were refused on the grounds that the claims were frivolous or vexatious. It is estimated that there were fewer than 100 such cases in 1995. These figures may exclude some port applications refused as frivolous or vexatious which were dealt with under fast track procedures.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total amount of liability incurred by all carriers under the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act 1987; how much of that total liability has been paid; how much has been waived; and how much is outstanding. [15531]
§ Mr. KirkhopeA total of £89.604 million had been incurred to 31 January 1996. Of that sum, £53.327 million had been paid and £17.578 million waived following representations from carriers. A sum of £ 18.699 million remained outstanding.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the consequences for the applicant of an appeal to the Immigration Appellate Authority against a refusal under paragraph 345 of the immigration rules being(a) allowed and (b) referred back to the Secretary of State for reconsideration under paragraph 5 of schedule 2 to the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993. [15542]
§ Miss WiddecombeIn either case, the consequences, including whether the claim was to be considered substantively, would depend on the circumstances, including whether further refusal under paragraph 345 was appropriate.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of the number of asylum seekers currently detained under Immigration Act powers by(a) nationality, (b) gender, (c) place of detention, (d) length of detention and (e) immigration status at the time of application. [15551]
85W
§ Miss WiddecombeThe information requested is given in the tables.
Table 1: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 January 19961 who had sought asylum at some stage, by gender and immigration status Port Illegal entrants Deport Total Male 376 263 45 684 Female 42 5 2 49 Total 418 268 47 733 1 These figures include people detained for under a month, because of the amount of lag created by the amount of people detained and released in under a month these figures should be used with caution.
Table 2: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 January 1996 who had sought asylum at some stage, by length of detention Length Total number detained 0–1 month1 194 1–2 months 133 2–6 months 296 6–12 months 97 12 months + 13 Total 733 1 With the amount of detainees coming in and out of detention in under a month these figures should be treated as estimates. 86W
Table 3: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 January 19961 who had sought asylum at some stage, by nationality Nationality Total number detained Nigeria 109 India 91 Algeria 71 Gambia 58 China Peoples Republic of 38 Sri Lanka 31 Ghana 30 Turkey 29 Pakistan 26 Zaire 23 Bangladesh 22 Kenya 19 Angola 13 Romania 12 Ecuador 10 Former Yugoslavia 10 Iran 8 Lithuania 8 Somalia 7 Afghanistan 6 Jamaica 6 Poland 6 Sierra Leone 6 Albania 5 Niger 5 Sudan 5 Uganda 5 Czechoslovakia 4 Lebanon 4 Palestine 4 Tanzania 4 Ivory Coast 4 Columbia 3 Cyprus 3 Cuba 3 Ethiopia 3 Liberia 3 Morocco 3
Table 3: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 January 19961 who had sought asylum at some stage, by nationality Nationality Total number detained Russia 3 Bulgaria 2 Congo 2 Eritrea 2 Moldova 2 Peru 2 South Africa 2 Togo 2 Others 15 Nationality Doubtful 4 Totals 733 1 These figures include people detained for under a month, because of the amount of lag created by the amount of people detained and released in under a month these figures should be used with caution.
Table 4: Number of people recorded as detained on 31 January 19961 who had sought asylum at some stage, by location of detention Total number detained Prisons HMP Rochester 136 HMP Haslar 90 HMP Harmondsworth 87 HMP Winson Green 41 HMP Wormwood Scrubs 12 HMP Greenock 10 HMP Crumlin Road 10 HMP Brixton 9 HMP Wandsworth 8 HMP Armley 3 HMP Bristol 2 HMP Craiginchess 2 HMP Liverpool 2 HMP Doncaster 2 Others 18 Other places of detention Campsfield detention centre 142 Gatwick airport detention centre 33 Police cells 33 Queen's buildings 17 Dover harbour 15 Newhaven port 15 Stanstead airport detention centre 15 Port 12 Manchester airport detention centre 6 Birmingham airport detention centre 3 Others 10 Total 733 1 These figures include people detained for under a month, because of the amount of lag created by the amount of people detained and released in under a month these figures should be used with caution.
§ Mr. HendersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many substantive asylum appeals to Immigration Appellate Authority special adjudicators were(a) allowed, (b) dismissed and (c) withdrawn in each quarter of 1994 and 1995. [15540]
§ Miss WiddecombeThe information on outcomes of substantive appeals to adjudicators in 1995 is given in the table. Information for 1994 is published in table 8.4 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Asylum Statistics 87W United Kingdom 1994", issue 15/95. A copy of this publication is available in the Library.
Outcome of substantive asylum appeals to the adjudicator, excluding dependants, by quarter 1995 Percentage of which: Total substantive determinations Allowed Dismissed Withdrawn 1995 January-March 1,070 (100) 2 82 16 April-June 1,255 (100) 4 79 18 July-September 1,770 (100) 4 82 14 October-December 1,830 (100) 2 80 18 Total (January-December) 5,920(100) 3 81 16 1 Figures are provisional and rounded to the nearest 5. 2 Includes cases withdrawn. 3 Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.