§ Mr. Bernie GrantTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have made inquiries to the international social service about applying for financial assistance to return to their country of origin, in each year since inception; if he will break down these figures by age, gender and intended country of destination; what proportion of actual applications were accepted by the ISS; and how much on average was paid to each applicant, in each year since inception. [17715]
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerThe international social service of the United Kingdom operates, on behalf of the Home Office, the voluntary repatriation scheme established under section 29 of the Immigration Act 1971. Grants are not paid to applicants. Assistance is given in the form of payment of fares and incidental expenses including the transport of a small amount of personal effects.
The following table shows the number of inquiries to ISS about assistance to return to country of origin, in each year since its inception to the end of March 1995, with the proportion of applications accepted and the average amount of financial assistance in relation to each successful applicant:
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Number of inquires, successful application and amount of financial assistance pre applicant: 1972 to 1995 Year Enquiries Proportion of accepted applications Per cent. Average financial assistance £ 1972–73 57 14 1,535 1973–74 271 28 1,666 1974–75 245 32 1,386 1975–76 274 42 1,441 1976–77 520 24 1,138 1977–78 493 29 1,542 1978–79 435 32 1,910 1979–80 273 48 1,535 1980–81 266 40 1,678 1981–82 901 20 1,848 1982–83 575 27 1,379 1983–84 420 44 1,422 1984–85 430 23 1,350 1985–86 407 29 1,176 1986–87 306 29 1,316 1987–88 250 43 1,364 1988–89 174 49 1,034 1989–90 153 61 1,126 1990–91 137 61 1,029 1991–92 140 68 1,390 1992–93 159 57 1,370 1993–94 278 37 1,850 1994–95 226 68 1,711 The information requested on age, gender and the intended country of destination of people making enquiries to ISS is not routinely recorded and such data that survives could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
However, the following table provides a breakdown of the country of destination of those receiving assistance under the scheme:
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Number and country of destination of those given assistance: 1972 to 1995 Country Number Algeria 5 Antigua 2 Argentina 7 Aruba 1 Australia 32 Bangaladesh 34 Barbados 79 Belize 2 Bolivia 1 Canada 15 Chile 8 China 3 Dominica 43 Egypt 6 Fiji 12 Gambia 5 Ghana 50 Grenada 43 Guyana 51 India 83 Iran 1 Jamaica 1,356 Kenya 17 Malaysia 10 Malawi 3 Mauritius 42 Morocco 5 New Zealand 4 Nigeria 148
Numbers and country of destination of those given assistance: 1972 to 1995 Country Number Oman 2 Pakistan 37 St. Kitts 2 St. Lucia 29 St. Vincent 25 Seychelles 20 Sierra Leone 7 Somalia 7 South Africa 26 Sri Lanka 12 Sudan 1 Tanzania 3 Trinidad 64 Turkey 1 Uganda 132 USA 9 West Samoa 6 Yemen 2 Zanzibar 3 Zimbabwe 89