§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received on the (a) establishment and (b) capacity of the residential refugee centre in Coquelles, France. [91991]
§ Beverley HughesThere is no residential refugee centre in Coquelles. A detention centre with 80 places was opened in Coquelles on 2 January 2003. This is to hold people who have already been through French proceedings and are in the process of being removed. This expansion in capacity has been planned since June 2002. It forms part of French improvements to their asylum and immigration procedures, which we welcome.