Asylum Seekers (Hansard, 2 November 1994)

§ Dr. Lynne Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of those who applied for asylum(a) since 26 July 1993 and (b) since 1 January 1994, and are liable to detention under paragraph 16(1) and 16(2) of schedule 2 and paragraph 2 of schedule 3 to the Immigration Act 1971 have been detained under these provisions.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
On 28 October 1994 a total of 702 people who had sought asylum were detained. This figure includes people awaiting the setting of directions for removal following refusal of the application, as well as those whose application was under consideration or subject to appeal. Of this figure, 332 were detained under paragraph 16(1) of schedule 2, 306 under paragraph 16(2) of schedule 2 and 64 under paragraph 2 of schedule 3 of the Immigration Act 1971. Information on the percentage of those applying for asylum since 26 July 1993 and 1 January 1994, who were detailed, is available only at disproportionate cost.

§ Dr. Lynne Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been detained under the provisions of section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993(a) since 26 July 1993 and (b) since 1 January 1994; and how many asylum seekers are currently detained under those provisions.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
Section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 refers to appeals from the immigration appeals tribunal. It has no provisions for the detection of asylum seekers, but at 31 October 1994 there was one case in detention awaiting the outcome of such an appeal.

§ Dr. Lynne Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently detained under the Immigration Act 1971; and how long, on average, those detainees have been held.

§ Mr. Nicholas Baker
On 28 October 1994 a total of 702 people who had sought asylum were detained. This1166W figure includes people awaiting the setting of directions for removal following refusal of the application, as well as those whose application was under consideration or subject to appeal. Of this figure, 216 had been in detention less than one month, 118 between one and two months, 262 between two and six months and 106 had spent longer than six months in detention.