HC Deb 03 February 1995 vol 253 cc892-6W
Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of asylum seekers from Bosnia who have arrived in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the civil war in Bosnia; and how many have(a) been given full political refugee status, (b) been given exceptional leave to remain, (c) been rejected and (d) still await his decision.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

The available information on asylum applications by nationals of the former Yugoslavia, and on decisions made, for the period 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1994, is given in the table; data for Bosnians are not separately identified in the statistics. As at 31 December 1994 an estimated 5,990 applications for asylum from former Yugoslays were outstanding.

In addition to consideration of asylum applications, the Government have, under arrangements announced in November 1992 and June 1993, offered to receive 1,000 particularly vulnerable individuals from the former Yugoslavia and their close dependants. As at 31 January 1995, 842 particularly vulnerable individuals and 1,142 dependants had arrived under these arrangements. Prior to this, 68 sick and wounded ex-detainees from Bosnia arrived in September 1992.

Decisions1 on applications1 received for asylum from nationals of the former Yugoslavia in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, 1992 to 1994
Number of principal applicants
1992 1993 1994
Asylum applications2 5,635 1,830 1,385
Decisions2 3 130 175 1,765
Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum * 25
Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain4 * 55 1,265
Refused asylum and ELR—after full consideration 10 375
Refused under para 180F5 65 80 75
Refused on safe third country grounds6 60 30 25
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5, with '*'=1 or 2.
2 Figures exclude information on applications made overseas.
3 Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same year.
4 Usually granted for a year in the first instance, subject then to further review.
5 For failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to invitation to interview to establish identity—para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993;
6 Refused on the grounds that the applicant had arrived from a safe third country.

Mr. Churchill

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers and dependants have made applications to enter the United Kingdom since 1 January 1990; what percentage of these have made their application other than on arrival at the port of entry; how many have had their cases determined and, of these, how many have been refused and deported; and how many are awaiting determination of their cases.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

The available information on applications, decisions, and removals, excluding dependants, by location of application, for the years 1990 to 1994 is given in table A. Table B gives the available information on applications and decisions, including dependants for the years 1990 to 1994.

At 31 December 1994—the latest date for which information is available—an estimated 55,255 applications for asylum, excluding dependants, were outstanding.

Figures for those persons and their dependants granted entry clearance abroad to seek asylum in the United Kingdom are not separately identified in the statistics.

Table A: Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, decisions1,and removals1 (including voluntary departures), excluding dependants, by location of application
Port 1990 In-country Total
Applications for asylum 9,005 17,200 26,205
Total decisions2 4,025
Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum 920
Not recognised as a refugee but granted1 exceptional leave to remain 2,400
Refused asylum and exceptional leave3 705
Removals (including voluntary departures)4
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2 A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available for 1990 and 1991.
3 Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under para. 180F—(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
4 Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.

Table A: Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, decisions1, and removals1 (including voluntary departures), excluding dependants, by location of application
Port 1991 In-country Total
Applications for asylum Total decisions2 9,030 35,815 44,840 6,075
Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum 505
Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain 2,190
Refused asylum and exceptional leave3 3,380
Removals (including voluntary departures)4
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2 A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available for 1990 and 1991.
3 Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under para. 180F—(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
4 Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.
Table A: Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, decisions1 and removals1 (including voluntary departures), excluding dependants, by location of application
Port 1991 In-country Total
Applications for asylum 7,675 16,930 24,605
Total decisions2 9,005 25,900 34,900
Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum 410 705 1,115
Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain 7,500 7,825 15,325

Table A: Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, decisions1, and removals1 (including voluntary departures), excluding dependants, by location of application
1992
Port In-country Total
Refused asylum and exceptional leave3 1,095 17,375 18,465
Removals (including voluntary departures)4 960 385 1,345
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2 A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available for 1990 and 1991.
3 Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under para. 180F—(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
4 Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.

Table A: Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, decisions1, and removals1 (including voluntary departures), excluding dependants, by location of application
1993
Port In-country Total
Applications for asylum 7,320 15,050 22,370
Total decisions2 8,315 15,090 23,405
Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum 330 1,260 1,590
Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain 5,605 5,520 11,125
Refused asylum and exceptional leave3 2,375 8,310 10,690
Removals (including voluntary departures4 1,235 585 1,820
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2 A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available for 1990 and 1991.
3 Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under para. 180F—(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
4 Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.

Table A: Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, decisions1, and removals1 (including voluntary departures), excluding dependants, by location of application
1994
Port In-country Total
Applications for asylum 10,230 22,600 32,830
Total decisions2 7,150 13,840 20,990
Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum 300 530 825
Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain 1,785 1,875 3,660
Refused asylum and exceptional leave3 5,065 11,435 16,500
Removals (including voluntary departures)4 1,190 790 1,985
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2 A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available for 1990 and 1991.
3 Includes refusals on safe third country grounds and those under para. 180F—(para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993) of the immigration rules.
4 Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.
5 The 1994 port removal figure is provisional pending a final analysis of 1994 data.

Table B Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, and decisions1, including dependents 1990 to 1994
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
Applications for asylum 38,195 73,400 32,300 28.000 41.100
Total Decisions2 6,055 9.140 59,050 36,890 28,210
Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum 1,590 800 1,900 2,860 1,380
Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain 3,610 2,950 21,680 15,480 5,480
Refused asylum and exceptional leave3 855 5,390 35,480 18450 21,350
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2 A breakdown of decisions into port and in-country is not available for 1990 and 1991.
3 Includes refusals on sale third country grounds and those under para. 180F—para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993—of the immigration rules.

1. Removals figures for 1990 and 1991 are not available.

Mr. Churchill

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of the provision of housing, schooling, health care and social security provision in respect of asylum seekers and their dependants currently in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

The average estimated cost in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit of maintaining an asylum applicant and any dependants is around £100 per week. No recent estimates of the other costs are available.

Mr. Churchill

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest estimate available to him of the number of asylum-seekers currently seeking entry to the European Union.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

The available information covering the period 1 January 1992 to 30 November 1994 is given in the table.

Applications1 received for asylum in member countries of the European Union, including dependants, 1 January 1992 to 30 November 1994
1992 1993 1994 (January to November)
Austria 16,200 4,400
Belgium 17,700 26,900 13,145
Denmark 13,900 14,400 6,150
Finland 3,600 2,000 745
France2 27,500 26,500 23,570
Germany 438,200 322,600 115,025
Greece
Ireland 250
Italy 2,500 1,100 3530
Luxembourg 120
Netherlands 20,300 35,400 48,410
Portugal 200
Spain2 11,700 12,600 9,660
Sweden 83,200 37,600 17,355
United Kingdom4 32,300 28,000 35,800
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2 Application figures for France and Spain exclude dependants.
3 Information for application figures received in Italy for 1994 are only available for the period 1 January 1994 to 31 March 1994.
4 United Kingdom figures have been adjusted to include dependants.