§ Mr. EvennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many illegal immigrants have been apprehended during the past year; and how many have been sent back to their home country;
(2) how many known illegal immigrants there are in the United Kingdom; and what measures he is taking to apprehend them.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerWhen a person is known to be here unlawfully, firm action is taken by the immigration service in cooperation with the police and other agencies. It is not possible to give the total number of immigrants who are here unlawfully. The available information relates to those who have been detected and served with a notice of illegal entry or a notice of intention to deport.
In 1994, 7,240 illegal entrants were detected. In the same period, 3,670 were removed, or departed voluntarily, from the United Kingdom. In addition, 4,750 persons were issued with a notice of intention to deport because of a breach of conditions of leave to enter or remain, and 1,080 such persons were removed, or departed voluntarily, from the United Kingdom in 1994.
§ Mr. EvennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been granted asylum during the past year from(a) non-Commonwealth and (b) Commonwealth countries.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerThe provisional information is that in 1994, 825 asylum applicants were recognised as refugees and granted asylum. Of this figure, 45 were from Commonwealth countries.