§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what has been the cost to Essex County Council of maintaining illegal immigrants who arrived at Harwich Ferry Port in each of the last three years; [64219]
(2) what has been the cost to Kent County Council of maintaining illegal immigrants who arrived at Dover Ferry Port in each of the last three years; [64218]
606W(3) what has been the cost to (a) Dorset County Council and (b) Poole Borough Council of maintaining illegal immigrants who arrived at Poole Ferry Port in each of the last three years. [64220]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThis information is not available to the Home Office. The hon. Member should approach the local authority.
Illegal immigrants who do not claim asylum and who have no special needs are not eligible for support from public funds. Asylum seekers and other illegal immigrants (who are given temporary leave to enter) who are not otherwise detained and who are able to support themselves are free to live within the United Kingdom in a place of their own choosing. Asylum seekers who register their application for asylum at their port of entry may be eligible for Income Support and Housing Benefit and can then find their own accommodation. Asylum seekers who do not qualify for benefits but who may be supported under the terms of the National Assistance Act 1948 or the Children Act 1989 are supported by local authorities under the terms of that legislation. The Home Office currently has no role in providing support and is consequently not aware of the information sought. The Government plan a fundamental reform of the asylum and immigration laws to remove cash benefits and more strictly control where asylum seekers live.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants who arrived at(a) Dover, (b) Harwich, (c) Portsmouth and (d) Newhaven are currently being detained; and what the equivalent figures were for each of the last six months. [64238]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe available information relating to the numbers of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers, as at 14 December 1998, who have been served with a notice of illegal entry is that: 140 of those persons had been issued with illegal entry papers by the South East Ports Surveillance Team based at Dover; 5 by immigration officers at Harwich; 5 at Portsmouth; and none at Newhaven. Information relating to the previous six months could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of(a) Albania, (b) Bulgaria, (c) Hungary, (d) Macedonia and (e) Romania are currently being detained in the United Kingdom as illegal immigrants; and what the equivalent figures were for each of the last three years. [64241]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants at(a) Portsmouth, (b) Newhaven, (c) Harwich and (d) Plymouth ferry ports have been refused entry and removed from the United Kingdom within seven days of arrival in each of the last 12 months. [64239]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe available information relating to the numbers of persons removed or departing voluntarily within seven days of being issued with a notice of illegal entry by the requested ports which issued the notices, between 1 July 1997 and 30 June 1998, is given in the table. 607W
Number of illegal entrants recorded as removed or departing voluntarily1 within 7 days of being issued with notice of illegal
entry by selected port issuing notice of illegal entry
July 1997 to June 1998
Date Portsmouth Newhaven Harwich Plymouth Jul 1997 7 — 5 — Aug 1997 3 — 2— — Sep 1997 3 — 18 — Oct 1997 11 — 2— 4 Nov 1997 5 — — — Dec 1997 2— — — — Jan 1998 14 2— 2— — Feb 1998 2— — 2— 2— Mar 1998 5 — — — Apr 1998 10 — — — May 1998 — — — — Jun 1998 9 — 4 — 1 Persons who departed 'voluntarily' following the initiation of illegal entry action against them. 1 Represents 1 or 2.