HC Deb 30 November 1988 vol 142 cc245-6W
Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people applied for asylum in the United Kingdom in each month of 1988 to October; how many were(a) refused and (b) granted; and how many were (i) detained and (ii) removed.

Mr. Renton

Information for the first two quarters of 1988 is given in table 1. Information on the number of asylum applicants detained is not collected in the form requested. However, table 2 gives the number of asylum applicants at ports who, on the first day of the month indicated, had been detained for more than one month.

Comprehensive information on the numbers of asylum applicants removed is not available centrally.

Table 1: Applications for asylums received and decided1
Number of persons
January to March 1988 April to June 1988
Applications received 913 553
Decisions
Granted refugee status 105 138
Refused asylum but granted leave to remain on exceptional grounds 200 339
Refused asylum 137 126
Applications withdrawn 90 111
1Provisional: likely be revised upwards.

Table 2: Number of asylums applications at ports detained for more

than one month

Number of persons on first day of month

1988 Number
January 43
February 50
March 51
April 41
May 55
June 40
July 21
August 20
September 23
October 20
November 25