HL Deb 05 July 1999 vol 603 cc74-6WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many unaccompanied children reached the United Kingdom seeking asylum in each of the last 12 months; and whether they can state their countries of origin. [HL3274]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

The available information is given in the following table.

Unaccompanied1 children, aged 17 or under, applying for asylum in the United Kingdom, by nationality
Number of principal applicants
19982 19992 1998–992
Nationality Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Total
Afghanistan 6 4 11 10 11 13 13 12 14 13 11 9 127
Albania 2 3 4 5 5 7 5 4 3 4 5 8 55
Algeria 4 1 5 6 — 1 3 1 — 2 1 2 27
Angola — 1 — 2 2 1 — 1 1 — — 4 12
Bangladesh — 2 — — — — — — — — — 1 3
Belarus 2 — — — — — — — — — — — 2
Bosnia-Herzegovina — — — 2 — — — — — — — — 2
Burundi — — — — — 1 — 1 — 1 1 3 7
China 25 39 36 44 31 12 8 17 12 18 7 15 264
Colombia — — — — — — — 2 1 2 1 2 8
Democratic Republic of Congo 1 1 4 6 — — 1 — 2 2 5 2 24
Cyprus — — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1
Czech Republic 1 — 1 — 1 1 — — 1 — 1 2 8
Ecuador — — — — — 2 — — 1 1 — — 4
Eritrea 3 6 2 6 15 8 13 3 10 8 8 5 87
Ethiopia 2 6 5 5 6 11 6 15 6 7 4 3 76
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 96 84 193 325 262 139 139 86 59 75 66 70 1,594
Ghana — — 1 — — — 1 — — — — — 2
Guinea — 1 — — — — 2 — — — — — 3
India 1 — — 3 2 — — 1 — 3 1 1 12
Indonesia — — — — — — — 2 1 — 1 1 5
Iran 2 — — — — 1 1 1 1 — 1 — 7
Iraq — 1 3 2 2 3 3 7 4 9 3 2 39
Jamaica — 2 — — — — — — — — 1 — 3
Kenya 3 — — 1 — 1 4 — 1 1 — 3 14
Latvia — — — — 1 — 1 — 2 — — 1 5
Lebanon — 1 1 — — 1 — — — — — 1 4
Liberia — — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1
Lithuania 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 3 3 — 1 17
Macedonia — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Moldova 1 1 — — — 2 — — 1 — — — 5
Nigeria 3 2 1 3 4 1 — 1 — 4 3 3 25
Pakistan 2 — 2 1 1 — — 3 2 1 1 1 14
Poland 2 5 — 2 4 2 9 6 4 2 1 4 41
Romania 7 9 5 13 4 7 2 3 4 13 1 5 73
Russia — — — 1 1 — — — — — — — 2
Rwanda — 1 1 1 — 4 — 1 2 4 2 1 17
Sierra Leone 2 2 3 1 — — 3 2 1 4 2 6 25
Slovakia — — — 1 — 4 3 — — — — — 8
Somalia 12 6 9 15 20 10 16 17 12 19 14 14 164
Sri Lanka 9 7 10 11 9 9 5 6 8 8 10 5 97
Sudan — 1 — 1 — — 1 1 — 1 — — 5
Tanzania — — — — — — 1 — 1 — — 1 3
Turkey 1 5 5 12 13 24 12 14 13 11 7 5 122
Uganda — 1 1 2 3 — — — — 1 — 1 9
Former USSR (unspecified) — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Vietnam — 1 1 1 2 1 — — — — — 1 7
Former Yugoslavia (unspecified) 3 1 2 1 4 2 — — — 9 4 1 4 28
Stateless Palestine — 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1
Other nationalities 4 4 1 4 3 6 6 7 3 3 2 1 44
Nationality unknown — — 1 — 2 1 1 4 2 3 2 1 17
Total 193 201 309 492 406 274 259 215 182 224 161 188 3,104
1 Unaccompanied at the point of their arrival, excluding those known to be joining a close relative in the United Kingdom.
2 Figures are provisional.
3 In-country applicants only.