§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) non-visa nationals, (b) asylum seekers and (c) others were refused entry to the United Kingdom, detained and deported, since the enactment of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993; what was the minimum and maximum period in each case between an application to enter being lodged and deportation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardleTwo hundred and twenty-one asylum seekers were refused leave to enter in the period 26 July to 31 December 1993 and have been removed from the United Kingdom. The majority were detained throughout their period of stay.
The minimum and maximum time periods between arrival and removal, and corresponding information on persons other than asylum seekers, is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The total number of persons removed in August and September as a result of being refused leave to enter was 2,973; some may have been refused leave to enter prior to August. Corresponding data for October 1993 onwards are not yet available.