§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial support is being made available to Kosovan refugees returning from the United Kingdom to their home country; and if he will make a statement. [122727]
§ Mrs. RocheThe current voluntary return programme from the United Kingdom began on 26 July 1999 and will end on 25 June 2000. For humanitarian and economic reasons it was decided to give a relocation grant of 720 Deutschmarks per person (approximately £250), payable on arrival in Kosovo, to all those who chose to go back under the return programme. That grant was increased to 1,300 Deutschmarks per person (approximately £400) with effect from the flight on 5 May. Arrangements have also been made to transport larger possessions overland to Kosovo. This will enable Kosovans to take back, for example, household goods and building materials, which they have bought or been given, and which they cannot take on an aeroplane.
In order to benefit from the grant and the overland transport of goods, Kosovans must register for return by 10 June and leave the United Kingdom on one of the organised voluntary return flights by 25 June.
§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial support is available to Kosovan refugees who have applied for asylum after the expiry of their 12 months' sanctuary in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [122730]
§ Mrs. RocheUnder the new support arrangements that we began phasing in on 3 April all new destitute asylum seekers who claim asylum in Scotland or Northern Ireland and additionally, since 17 April, all new asylum applicants in Kent will be supported by the National Asylum Support Service.
In all other cases, support will fall to local authorities who may provide essential living needs under the provisions of the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999.
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§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy to allow Kosovan refugees receiving medical treatment from the NHS to remain in the United Kingdom pending completion of treatment in cases where treatment is not available in Kosovo. [122728]
§ Mrs. RocheEvery request by a Kosovan to remain here longer on medical grounds will be considered carefully on its individual merits.
§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on ordering the return home of Kosovan refugees; how many Kosovan refugees have been required to return home against their will in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [122731]
§ Mrs. RocheKosovan Albanians who were evacuated to the United Kingdom under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme (HEP) between 25 April and 25 June 1999 were granted 12 months' leave to enter. As agreed with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at the outset of the evacuation process, protection was afforded on a temporary basis only. It was made clear at the time and subsequently that the leave of the evacuated Kosovans would not be extended and that they would be expected to return to Kosovo as soon as it was safe to do so.
The UNHCR judge that it is now safe for the majority of Kosovan Albanians to return to Kosovo and this has been exemplified by the one million Kosovans who have voluntarily chosen to return since July 1999.
The Government have given every assistance to Kosovan Albanians who wish to return to Kosovo permanently by funding two voluntary assisted return programmes and giving each returning person a relocation grant. The current programme and grant will run until 25 June. If, at the end of the 12-month period, people do not choose to return voluntarily and there are no protection or other humanitarian reasons to prevent them from doing so, I regret that consideration will be given to enforcing their return. It is the Government's hope that the generosity of this country in affording protection to the Kosovan Albanians in their hour of need will not be overlooked in this way and that such action does not have to be taken.
There have been no enforced removals to Kosovo in the last 12 months.
§ Mr. Hilary BennTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees from Kosovo have returned home from the United Kingdom in each of the last 12 months. [122733]
§ Mrs. RocheThe current voluntary return programme from the United Kingdom began on 26 July 1999 and will end on 25 June. The programme is open both to those Kosovans who arrived in the United Kingdom under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme (HEP) and to independent arrivals. As of 10 May, 1,280 Kosovans who arrived in the United Kingdom under the HEP and 370 independent arrivals had returned permanently to Kosovo under the voluntary programme. The table shows the number of Kosovans returning permanently by month since the programme started.
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Month Humanitarian evacuation programme Independent arrivals July 1999 148 1 August 1999 460 32 September 1999 303 115 October 1999 79 48 November 1999 60 29 December 1999 28 43 January 2000 16 26 February 2000 4 14 March 2000 35 18 April 2000 57 22 May 2000 90 22 Total 1,280 370 In addition, a further 423 Kosovans benefited from the "explore and prepare" programme which operated between 2 December 1999 and 20 April. This programme enabled heads of Kosovan Albanian households, or community leaders who wished to assess the situation in Kosovo, to visit and make the necessary preparations for the permanent return of their families or communities.