HC Deb 28 November 2000 vol 357 cc512-3W
Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have lodged appeals against being refused visas as family visitors since 2 October. [139718]

Mrs. Roche

Since 2 October, there have been 33 recorded appeals lodged against a refusal of a visa as a family visitor.

Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have applied for consideration under the regularisation scheme for overstayers; and how many of these applications have been(a) decided, (b) granted and (c) refused. [139717]

Mrs. Roche

The number of applications received under the regularisation scheme, which closed on 1 October, is over 15,000. Some were received out of time. Approximately 250 applications have been granted. Around 9,250 are awaiting substantive consideration and the remaining 5,800 await an initial assessment of eligibility. I regret that further information could be obtained only by examination of individual case records and is, therefore, available only at disproportionate cost.

2000 Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for facilitation of illegal entry have been initiated in(a) 1999 and (b)

Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and convicted at all courts for facilitation of illegal entry offences under s25 Immigration Act 1971, 1999 and Quarter 1 (January to March 2000)1
England and Wales Number of persons
Proceeded against3 Convicted4
Offence2 description Act and section 1999 2000 Q11 1999 2000 Q11
Knowingly facilitating the entry of an illegal entrant5 25(1) (a)6 233 41 153 43
Knowingly facilitating the entry of an asylum claimant5 25(1) (b)6 20 3 6
Total 253 44 159 43
1Provisional
2Principal immigration offence
3Includes proceedings terminated early
4Includes persons convicted at the Crown court who may have been proceeded against at magistrates courts in earlier years
5Triable either way offences. Cases may be dealt with by either magistrates
6 As added by section 5 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 courts or committed for trial to the Crown court