§ Ms KeebleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied minors entered the UK in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by country of origin. [182844]
§ Mr. BrowneThe requested information on the number of unaccompanied children entering the UK in each year is not available.
The available information on applications for asylum from unaccompanied children is given in the table.
Information on asylum applications from unaccompanied minors is published in quarterly web pages and in the annual statistical bulletin 'Asylum Statistics United Kingdom'. Copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the UK are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ rds/immigration 1.html.
578W
Unaccompanied1,2,3 children, aged 17 or under, applying for asylum in the United Kingdom, by nationality, 1999 to 2003 Nationality 19994 20004 20014 20025,6 20036 Albania 125 95 85 300 145 Czech Republic 30 20 20 10 — Macedonia — — 100 110 55 Moldova * 5 35 145 5 Poland 45 15 25 10 60 Romania 85 40 50 130 5 Russia 5 * 5 10 170 SAM 1,520 665 475 725 15 Turkey 115 155 95 85 85 Ukraine * 5 * 5 5 Other Former US 25 20 10 10 5 Other Former Yug 30 35 80 5 * Europe other 10 5 — — * Europe total 1,995 1,055 985 1,545 560 Colombia 20 5 5 5 5 Ecuador 15 5 5 5 5 Jamaica 5 5 * 15 5 Americas other 5 * 5 — 5 Americas total 40 15 20 30 15 Algeria 10 25 20 40 20 Angola 40 100 145 210 115 Burundi 10 20 20 30 60 Cameroon — 5 20 30 20 Congo 5 10 30 25 15 Dem. Rep. Congo 35 45 80 145 95 Eritrea 95 65 110 220 125 Ethiopia 55 60 140 140 100 Gambia — — * 5 5 Ghana * 10 5 5 5 Ivory Coast — 5 5 5 10 Kenya 10 10 15 30 25 Nigeria 45 25 35 55 35 Rwanda 35 50 40 65 20 Sierra Leone 65 75 130 110 35 Somalia 190 175 200 345 255 Sudan 5 10 5 15 30 Tanzania * 5 * 5 5 Uganda 10 25 45 105 125 Zimbabwe 5 35 35 90 10 Africa other 10 25 25 70 105 Africa total 630 800 1,115 1,745 1,225 Iran 15 65 25 50 65 Iraq 60 110 180 1,310 220 Middle East other 15 15 20 50 30 Middle East total 90 190 225 1,410 310 Afghanistan 215 300 675 720 235 Bangladesh 5 5 15 60 50 China 165 115 135 260 145 India 15 15 20 60 60
Unaccompanied1,2,3 children, aged 17 or under, applying for asylum in the United Kingdom, by nationality, 1999 to 2003 Nationality 19994 20004 20014 20025,6 20036 Pakistan 20 25 25 40 45 Sri Lanka 125 170 140 125 15 Vietnam 5 20 90 180 125 Asia other 5 5 5 15 10 Asia total 550 655 1,100 1,460 685 Nationality not known 40 20 25 5 5 Grand total 3,350 2,735 3,470 6,200 2,800 1 Figures rounded to the nearest 5 with *= 1 or 2 2 Unaccompanied at point of arrival, aged (or if no proof) determined to be 17 or under and not known to be joining a relative or guardian in the United Kingdom. 3 Figures exclude disputed age cases. 4 May excluded some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices. 5 Not comparable with manual counts data prior to 2002. 6 Provisional figures.