§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the success of their policies of deterring unqualified asylum seekers by juxtaposed controls, visa regimes, the Eurodac computer system and other means; and why these measures have not resulted in an increase in the proportion of successful applications. [HL1063]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe policies that are currently being undertaken by the Government to deter unfounded asylum claims are subject to continuous and ongoing review. The success of these policies is demonstrated by the 65 per cent fall in the detection of clandestine entrants in Kent in 2003 compared to 2002, which has been followed by a further 23 per cent fall in the first half of 2004, and the 61 per cent fall in asylum applications in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the same period of 2002.
The proportion of cases that are granted and refused in any particular period is determined by the case mix (i.e. the balance between new and older cases, and the different nationalities).
Each asylum claim is considered on its individual merits, taking into account the evidence submitted by the applicant, the information obtained at his or her substantive asylum interview and the available country information.
There is no inevitable relationship between the number of unsuccessful applicants and the number of successful ones.