HL Deb 04 February 1999 vol 596 c227WA
Lord Renton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many people are estimated to be living in the United Kingdom who have no lawful right to do so. [HL763]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

There is no estimate of the total number of persons living in the United Kingdom who have no lawful right to do so.

Information is available on the number of asylum absconders recorded on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) port and enforcement databases at the end of 1998. That figure is around 20,000. This is a snapshot of those persons (excluding dependants) who have applied for asylum at some point and who have breached the conditions of their temporary admission, temporary release or restriction order, or are otherwise found to be out of contact with IND.