§ Lord Inglewoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
In respect of the 57,710 persons whom the UN High Commissioner for Refugees believes to have sought asylum in the United Kingdom in 1991, what percentage were new arrivals, and what percentage were already irregularly domiciled in the United Kingdom.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)Forty-four thousand, eight hundred principal applications, excluding dependants, were received for asylum in the United Kingdom in 1991. The figure of 57,700 is an estimate of the total, including dependants, who applied with the principal applicant or who have arrived subsequently. Comprehensive information on these dependants is not yet available.
Information on the location of the 44,800 principal applications in 1991 is published in Table 2.2 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin Issue 12/92 Asylum Statistics, United Kingdom 1990–91, a copy of which is in the Library. Comprehensive information on the proportion of applicants who were in the country illegally at the time of application is not yet available.