§ Mr. BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Russian citizens have applied for political asylum in the UK during the past five years; and how many have been granted political asylum. [154685]
§ Beverley HughesThe table shows the number of asylum applications and initial decisions for nationals of Russia (excluding dependants) in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and from January to September 2003, the latest period for which published data is available. Initial decisions do not necessarily relate to applications received in the same period.
Information on asylum applications and decisions is published quarterly. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2003, and provisional full year data, will be available on 24 February 2004 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ rds/immigrationl.html.
251W
Initial decision on asylum application1,2,3received in the United Kingdom excluding dependants,by year,nationals of Russia Principal applicant Initial decisions Cases considered under normal procedures Grants of: Applications received Total initial decisions Asylum ELR HP DL Total refusals4 1999 685 305 * 5 N/a N/a 55 2000 1,000 1,195 25 45 N/a N/a 900 20018 450 895 20 40 N/a N/a 840 20029 295 355 15 20 N/a N/a 320 Ql 20039 70 95 * 5 N/a N/a 85 Q2 20039 65 115 * N/a * 5 110 Q3 20039 65 80 * N/a — 5 75
Initial decisions on asylum applications1,2,3 received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, by year, nationals of Russia Principal applicants Backlog Clearance exercise Grants of ELR under backlog criteria5,6 Non Compliance refusals under backlog criteria5,7 1999 190 50 2000 185 35 20018 n/a n/a 20029 n/a n/a Q1 20039 n/a n/a Q2 20039 n/a n/a Q3 20039 n/a n/a 1Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2 2Decision figures do not necessarily relate to applications received in the same period 3Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions 4May include some refusals under non compliance grounds 5Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 asylum backlog 6May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted 7May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds 8Revised figures 9Not applicable