§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many over-staying visa-holders have been given exceptional or other leave to remain in each of the last five years; whether such leave implies a right for dependants to join them; and what call on public funds such persons are entitled to make.[91251]
§ Beverley HughesThere are no data available on how many over-staying visa-holders have been given exceptional or other leave to remain. The requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
Where a person is granted exceptional leave to remain, family members would normally qualify to join them only after that person has been in the United Kingdom for four years. Applications may be considered before that point, but entry clearance for dependants will only be granted where there are compelling compassionate circumstances.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons who do not have leave to remain in the United Kingdom are resident in each county in England. [91253]
§ Beverley HughesInformation is not available on the number of persons unlawfully present in particular counties in England (nor is there any information available about the total number in the UK as a whole).
However, the Home Office has commissioned a study which considers methods of estimating the size of the illegal population. At present, there is no defined method for estimating the size of the illegally resident population in the UK.