§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Roma people from the Czech and Slovak republics have sought asylum in the United Kingdom in each month since January 1996; and of these(a) how many have been granted asylum, (b) how many were held in detention and (c) how many have been removed from the United Kingdom. [26018]
§ Mr. Mike O'Brien[holding answer 28 January 1998]: Czech and Slovak Roma are not separately identifiable in the statistics. The available information on all asylum applications lodged in the United Kingdom by nationals of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and on removals of such persons, is given in tables 1 and 2. Information on the number of Czech and Slovak asylum seekers detained, as at selected dates during 1996, 1997 and 1998, is given in table three. 337W
Table 2: Asylum applications1 received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, initial decisions1 2 3 on applications, and removals1 4, 1996 and 1997 by month, nationals of Slovakia Principal applicants Applications Decisions Removals Total decisions Grants of asylum Grants of ELR Total refusals5 1996 January * * — — * — February * * — — * — March 10 15 — — 15 — April 5 15 — — 15 — May — 5 — — 5 * June 5 10 — — 10 — July * 5 — — 5 — August 5 10 — — 10 * September 5 * — — * — October 5 20 — — 20 * November 10 15 — — 15 5 December 10 10 — — 10 5 Total (1996) 55 110 — — 110 15 1997 January * * — — * 5 February * 5 — — 5 * March 5 15 — — 15 5 April 5 10 — — 10 10 May 15 15 — — 15 10 June 25 25 — — 25 5 July 20 25 — — 25 5 August 50 45 — — 45 15 September 55 10 — — 10 5 October 85 75 — — 75 10 November 20 120 — — 120 25 December 15 30 — — 30 20 Total (1997) 305 375 — — 375 105 1 Figures rounded to nearest 5 with * = 1 or 2. 1997 data are provisional. 2 Information is of initial decisions and excludes the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. 3 Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same time period. 4 Includes voluntary departures apart from those made by in-country applicants prior to the initiation of enforcement action. 5 Includes safe third country refusals and refusals made on grounds of non-compliance. 338W
Table 3: Number of person recorded as detained, who have sought asylum at some stage, as selected dates in 1996
and 19971, nationals of the Czech Republic and Slovakia2
Detained as at Number detained 31 January 1996 4 29 February 1996 3— 29 March 1996 10 30 April 1996 12 31 May 19964 6 27 June 1998 6 31 July 19965 6 4 September 1996 5 1 October 1996 — 5 November 1996 5 11 December 1996 3 31 January 19976 — 27 March 1997 — 30 April 1997 — 31 May 1997 — 30 June 1997 3 31 July 1997 3— 29 August 19977 11 30 September 1997 14 31 October 1997 39 28 November 1997 38 5 January 19988 25 1 No figures are available for August 1996, February 1997 or December 1997. 2 Includes persons recorded as nationals of the former Czechoslovakia. 3 Indicates 1 or 2 because in order to protect confidentiality we cannot disclose individual numbers.
4 Ports figures obtained 7 June 1996. After entry figures obtained 31 May 1996.
5 Ports figures obtained 2 August 1996. After entry figures obtained 30 July 1996.
6 Ports figures obtained 3 February 1997. After entry figures obtained 31 January 1997.
7 Ports figures obtained 29 August 1997. After entry figures obtained 3 September 1997.
8 Ports figures obtained 6 January 1998. After entry figures obtained 5 January 1998.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate how many asylum seekers are at addresses not known to the authorities. [25947]
§ Mr. MichaelApproximately 14,000 asylum applicants, excluding dependants, are currently recorded as having breached the conditions of their temporary admission, temporary release, or restriction order, or having lost contact with the Home Office.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the current weekly cost to the Exchequer of those in the United Kingdom whose asylum appeals are outstanding. [25950]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienInformation on the costs to the Exchequer during 1997 of all asylum seekers is not yet available. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to 339W the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 13 November 1997, Official Report, columns 652–53, which gave the available information for 1996.
I regret, however, that it is not possible to separate the cost sof specific groups of asylum seekers.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of asylum seekers whose addresses are unknown to the authorities who are claiming and receiving state benefits. [25949]
§ Mr. MichaelI regret that it is not possible to establish the number of these persons who may be in receipt of state benefits.
Mr. MatinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take to discover the whereabouts of asylum seekers whose whereabouts in the United Kingdom are not known to the authorities. [25948]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienMeasures being taken to deal with the problem of absconding include the use of dedicated enforcement teams throughout the country; working in co-operation with the police and other government agencies; the use of intelligence for the effective targeting of resources; the establishment of a full time Port Absconder Tracing Team working in the Metropolitan Police Area; and the speeding up of Home Office procedures to reduce the potential for absconding.