HC Deb 04 June 1996 vol 278 cc320-2W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of people seeking political asylum and being held in custody as of 14 May, the length of time each person has been held in detention and their nationality. [30512]

Mr. Kirkhope

The available information is for those held in detention as at 30 April and is given in the tables.

Table 1: Number of people recorded as detained on 30 April 19961 who had sought asylum at some stage, by length of detention
Length Total number detained
0–1 Month1 181
1–2 Months 143
2–6 Months 280
6–12 Months 106
12 Months+ 15
Total 725
1 These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution.

Table 2: Number of people recorded as detained on 30 April 19961 who had sought asylum at some stage, by nationality
Nationality Total number detained
Nigeria 114
India 93
Algeria 67
Gambia 44
Ghana 38
Sri Lanka 37
Turkey 33
Zaire 32
Pakistan 23
Bangladesh 22
China Peoples Republic of 22
Romania 21
Czechoslovakia 12
Angola 11
Lithuania 8
Afghanistan 7
Albania 7
Iran 7
Kenya 7
Ivory Coast 6
Niger 6
Poland 6
Russia 6
Somalia 6
Tanzania 6
Ecuador 5
Sierra Leone 5
Colombia 4
Cyprus 4
Jamaica 4
Yugoslavia 4
Bulgaria 3
Ethiopia 3
Lebanon 3
Liberia 3
Peru 3
Uganda 3
South Africa 3
Cameroon 2
Georgia 2
Iraq 2
Montenegro 2
Palestine 2

Table 2: Number of people recorded as detained on 30 April 19961 who had sought asylum at some stage, by nationality
Nationality Total number detained
Sudan 2
Togo 2
Zimbabwe 2
Nationality doubtful 6
Others 15
Total 725
1 These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution.

Ms Abbott

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the protest by asylum seekers in Rochester prison on 17 May. [31197]

Miss Widdecombe

At approximately 20:30 hours on 16 May, 69 overseas nationals detained at Rochester refused to return to their cells at the end of the normal association period. The reason for the protest is not known at this time and is currently subject to an internal Prison Service investigation. However, it is thought that it may be linked to possible reductions in association time.

The protest was passive, but the detainees refused to participate in negotiations with staff. At 01:00 hours on 17 May, a direct order was given to the detainees to return to their cells, but they refused to comply. Prison Service control and restraint teams were deployed to clear the wing. Some detainees offered passive resistance by rolling themselves into a ball. The wing was cleared by 01:30 hours with no serious injuries to staff or detainees.

Following clearance of the wing, 10 detainees barricaded themselves into a cell, but this was quickly overcome with no resistance.