§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum applications made by unaccompanied children under 16 years were determined
§ Mr. Charles WardleThe available information relates to unaccompanied children applying at the ports since November 1990 and is given in tables A and B. Corresponding information for January to October 1990 is not available. The information in table A, for November 1990 to December 1991, is of children aged 16 or under: separate figures for those under 16 are not available. The information in table B, for January to November 1992, is of those under 16.
Information on in-country application by unaccompanied children is not available in this form.
As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for 25 November, columns 647–48, information on decisions on applications by unaccompanied children is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
105W1Unaccompanied at the point of their arrival, and not known to be joining a close adult relative in the United Kingdom.
2Aged 16 or under. The figures involve some estimation since in certain cases the precise date of birth is not available.
Table B Unaccompanied1 children2 applying for asylum on their arrival in the United Kingdom, by nationality, January to November 1992 January February March April May June July August September October November Afghanistan — 2 — — 1 — — 2 1 — — Angola — 1 — — — — — — — — — Ethiopia — — 4 1 — — 2 — — 1 1 Ghana — — — — — — 1 — — — 1 Lebanon — — — — 1 — 1 — 1 — — Malaysia — — — 1 — — — — — — — Sierra Leone — 1 — — — — — — — — — Somalia 2 2 1 4 — 2 5 3 2 1 4 Sri Lanka 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 2 — — Sudan — — — — — — 1 — — — — Turkey — — — — — 1 — — — — — Uganda — — — — — — — — — — 1 Yugoslavia — — 1 — — 1 — 1 — 1 5 Zaire 1 1 — — 5 — — — — 1 — TOTAL 4 9 7 7 8 7 10 7 5 4 12 1Unaccompanied at the point of their arrival, and not known to be joining a close adult relative in the United Kingdom. 2Under 16 years of age. The figures involve some estimation since in certain cases the precise date of birth is not available.