§ Dr. HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of those asylum seekers currently detained under Immigration Act powers were first detained at a time when(a) their asylum claim had yet to be determined by the Home Office, (b) their appeal against a refusal of asylum had yet to be determined by an adjudicator or the immigration Appeal tribunal and (c) they had exhausted all appeal rights; [5412]
8W(2) if he will provide a breakdown of the total number of asylum seekers currently detained under Immigration Act powers by (a) nationality, (b) gender, (c) length of time in detention, (d) location and (e) immigration status at the time of detention. [5405]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe available information on those persons recorded as detained under Immigration Act powers as at 31 May 1997, and who had sought asylum at some stage, is given in the tables.
9WI regret that information on the stage at which these persons were first placed into detention could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Table 1. Number of people recorded as being detained1 2 on 31 May 1997 who had sought asylum at some stage, by gender
and immigration status
Gender Port Illegal entrants Subject to deportation action Total Male 297 334 49 680 Female 29 19 5 53 Total 326 353 54 733 1 Provisional figures. 2 Persons detained solely under the powers contained in Schedule 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971.
Table 2: Number of people recorded as being detained1 2 on 31 May 1997 who had sought asylum at some stage, by stage of
application and immigration status
Stage of application Port Illegal entrants Subject to deportation action Total Awaiting initial decision 82 87 5 174 Awaiting result of appeal 139 132 33 304 Awaiting removal3 105 134 16 255 Total 326 353 54 733 1 Provisional figures. 2 Persons detained solely under the powers contained in Schedule 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971. 3 Includes cases where the result of a further challenge is awaited or where another bar to removal currently exits.
Table 3. Number of people recorded as being detained1 2 on 31 May 1997 who had sought asylum at some stage, by length of
detention
3 and immigration statusLength Port Illegal entrants Subject to deportation action Total 0–1 Month1 77 80 8 165 1–2 Months 59 81 4 144 2–6 Months 131 143 18 292 6–12 Months 48 44 19 111 12 Months+ 11 5 5 21 Total 326 353 54 733 1 Provisional figures. 2 Persons detained solely under the powers contained in Schedule 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971. 3 In some cases the date a person enters detention may be understated due to the method of recording. 10W
Table 4: Number of people recorded as being detained12 on 31 May 1997 who had sought asylum at some stage, by nationality
and immigration status
Nationality Port Illegal entrants Subject to deportation action Total India 19 100 4 123 Nigeria 49 38 15 103 Algeria 15 55 6 76 China 38 13 0 51 Pakistan 21 23 5 49 Ghana 12 12 3 27 Turkey 16 5 1 22 Bangladesh 3 13 3 19
Table 4: Number of people recorded as being detained1 2 on 31 May 1997 who had sought asylum at some stage, by nationality
and immigration status
Nationality Port Illegal entrants Subject to deportation action Total Cyprus 14 2 0 16 Sri Lanka 8 5 0 13 Columbia 11 1 0 12 Kenya 9 2 1 12 Yugoslavia 10 1 1 12 Angola 6 4 1 11 Gambia 7 3 1 11 Poland 6 5 0 11 Romania 1 10 0 11 Albania 3 7 0 10 Liberia 10 0 0 10 Uganda 6 2 0 8 Jamaica 3 4 0 7 Lithuania 4 3 0 7 Somalia 6 0 1 7 Ethiopia 3 3 0 6 Morocco 1 4 1 6 Ivory Coast 1 3 1 5 Russia 1 4 0 5 Sierra Leone 5 0 0 5 Bulgaria 3 1 0 4 Iran 3 1 0 4 South Africa 3 0 1 4 Tunisia 1 2 1 4 Zaire 3 0 1 4 Afghanistan 1 2 0 3 Cameroon 1 2 0 3 Ecuador 3 0 0 3 Lebanon 1 2 0 3 Sudan 1 2 0 3 Other 18 16 6 40 Nationality Doubtful 0 3 0 3 Total 326 353 54 733 1 Provisional figures. 2 Persons detained solely under the powers contained in Schedule 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971. 11W
Table 5. Number of people recorded as being detained1 2 on 31 May 1997 sought asylum at some stage, by location
of detention and immigration status
Port Illegal entrants Subject to deportation action Total Prisons HMP Rochester 57 58 7 122 HMP Haslar 28 31 10 69 HMP Greenock 1 15 0 16 HMP Magilligan 0 12 0 12 HMP Birmingham 1 7 1 9 HMP Wormwood Scrubs 2 5 1 8 HMP Brixton 0 5 2 7 HMP Manchester 0 4 0 4 HMP Armley 0 2 1 3 HMP Holloway 0 1 2 3 HMP Wandsworth 0 1 2 3 HMP Bristol 0 2 0 2 HMP Liverpool 0 1 1 2 Other prison 8 6 5 19
Table 5. Number of people recorded as being detained1 2 on 31 May 1997 sought asylum at some stage, by location of
detention and immigration status
Port Illegal entrants Subject to deportation action Total Other Places of Detention Campsfield House 68 52 9 129 Tinsley House 56 41 7 104 Hammondsworth 50 29 5 84 Police Cells 18 61 1 80 Queens Building 10 5 0 15 Manchester Airport 3 6 0 9 Dover Harbour 8 0 0 8 Other place 16 9 0 25 Total 326 353 54 733 1 Provisional figures. 2 Persons detained solely under the powers contained in Schedule 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971.
§ Dr. HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons applying for asylum at ports of entry were detained under Immigration Act powers for one night or longer in each month of(a) 1995 and (b) 1996. [5411]
§ Mr. O'BrienThe information requested is given in the table.
Number1 of persons who had applied for asylum on arrival in the United Kingdom and were placed into detention under
Immigration Act powers2 3 1995 and 1996 by month
Month 1995 1996 January 155 140 February 140 135 March 160 150 April 185 130 May 135 125 June 175 150 July 155 155 August 145 160 September 145 200 October 185 145 November 165 145 December 195 150 Total 1,945 1,785 1 Provisional and estimated figures rounded to the nearest 5. 2 Persons detained solely under the powers contained in Schedule 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971. 3 Includes those placed into detention on the day of their arrival in the United Kingdom, or the following day, but excludes those cases where detention length can be established as being less than one night in duration.