HC Deb 08 May 2000 vol 349 cc309-10W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many clandestine illegal entrants have been discovered in vehicles arriving at United Kingdom ports in each month for the last 12 months for which figures are available. [121289]

Mrs. Roche

Information is recorded centrally on the numbers of persons issued with notice of illegal entry as clandestine entrants. Figures for April 1999 to March 2000 are given in the table. This information is collated by the date of issue of notice of illegal entry and does not contain details of the date of entry to the United Kingdom. The central record does not differentiate between those persons detected in vehicles at ports of entry and those persons whose clandestine entry came to light at a later stage.

Persons issued with notice of illegal entry as clandestine entrants, by month, April 1999 to March 20001
Number of persons
1999
April 750
May 1,110
June 960
July 1,330
August 2,055
September 2,150
October 2,240
November 1,850
December 1,885
2000
January 2,085
February 2,225
March 2,330
1 All data are provisional and rounded to 5

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the stowaways he witnessed being discovered at Dover on Wednesday 26 April(a) have claimed asylum and (b) remain in the UK. [121286]

Mr. Straw

Of the nine individuals whose discovery I witnessed on 26 April, six are known to have claimed asylum and are still in the country. Information concerning the three others is not yet available to me but I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as it is.

Forward to