§ Linda PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have(a) been refused and (b) been granted asylum in the last 12 months; and what definition of child is used for this purpose. [80532]
§ Beverley HughesData are only available for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC), defined as principal applicants who are, or appear to be, under 18, claiming asylum in their own right and without a guardian or relative in the United Kingdom.
In the first six months of 2002, 3,070 initial decisions were made on applications lodged by UASCs aged under 18 at the time of initial decision. Of these decisions, 470 cases were refused asylum and exceptional leave to remain, 295 were granted asylum and 2,310 were granted exceptional leave to remain.
Comparable data for the six months prior to this are unavailable and would be produced only at disproportionate cost by examining individual case records.
Reliable information on initial decisions made on applications from accompanied children is not readily available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records and is therefore available only at a disproportionate cost.
Information on unaccompanied minors is published annually in the statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom", a copy of which is available in the Library and from the RDS website http:// www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html.