HC Deb 30 November 2000 vol 357 cc917-9W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have(a) lost their appeals, (b) been removed from the UK after losing an appeal and (c) left the UK voluntarily after losing an appeal in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [140709]

Mrs. Roche

The available information is given in the table.

Asylum Appeals (excluding dependants) dismissed1 by adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority, 1994 to 2000
Year Number2
1994 1,935
1995 5,565
1996 10,785
1997 18,145
1998 21,195
1999 11,135
2000, January to October 11,450
1Excludes the outcome of subsequent appeals
2Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5

Removals and voluntary departures of asylum applicants1, excluding dependants, 1994 to 2000
Year Number
1994 2,108
1995 3,171
1996 4,845
1997 7,160
1998 6,910
19992 7,645
2000, Jan to Oct2 7,605
1Including applicants who had not appealed against an initial refusal
2Includes persons returned under the Voluntary Assisted Returns Programme

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum have been processed in each of the(a) last six months and (b) last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [140902]

Mrs. Roche

The information requested is given in the tables.

Applications, excluding dependants, received for asylum in the United Kingdom, and decisions made for the period May 2000 to October 20001
Applications2 Decisions2,3,4
May 6,185 10,765
June 5,900 10,470
July 6,255 8,855
August 6,430 9,770
September 6,435 8,145
October 6,970 8,180
1Provisional figures
2Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
3Decisions include cases decided under the backlog criteria.
4Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and exclude the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.

Applications, excluding dependants, received for asylum in the United Kingdom, and decisions made 1990 to 1999
Applications1 Decisions1,2
1990 26,205 4,025
1991 44,840 6,075
1992 24,605 34,900
1993 22,370 23,405
1994 32,830 20,990
1995 43,965 27,005
1996 29,640 38,960
1997 32,500 36,045
1998 46.015 31,570
19993,4 71.160 33,720
1Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and exclude the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
3Decisions include cases decided under the backlog criteria.
4Provisional figures.

Sir John Stanley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the number of individuals believed still to be in the UK but whose whereabouts are unknown,(a) who have applied for asylum but whose applications have not yet been finally determined and (b) whose applications for asylum have been refused. [140765]

Mrs. Roche

I regret that we are not able to provide a reliable estimate because the information required to make an estimate is not available.

Miss Widdecombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers whose claims were made(a) prior to 1 July 1993 and (b) between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995 have been granted leave to remain, and for what periods, under the backlog clearance exercise; how many granted leave to remain had their asylum applications considered under normal procedures and refused; how many did not receive an initial determination of their asylum application; and if he will make a statement. [134877]

Mrs. Roche

[pursuant to her reply, 10 November 2000,c. 425W]: The figure 6,135 is the number of applications lodged prior to July 1993 and the figure 15,400 is the number of asylum applications lodged between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995. The number of applications still not determined under the backlog clearance exercise is now negligible.