§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of racial harassment were reported to the National Asylum Support Service's Investigations Team by asylum seekers in(a) 2000 and (b) 2001 broken down by (i) month and (ii) region; and if he will make a statement. [13044]
Angela Eagle [holding answer 7 November 2001]: The number of allegations of racial harassment reported to the National Asylum Support Services (NASS) Investigations Team in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001 is as follows.
559W
Year Number 2000 May 14 June 119 July 138 August 146 September 136 October 36 November 40 December 32 2001 January 47 February 71 March 66 April 64 May 78 June 74 July 71 August 103 September 72 October 122 1The performance Monitoring Investigations Section (PMI) became fully operational in October 2000. Figures prior to October 2000 represent those cases reported to the Investigations Sections. Further allegations may have been investigated within the wider Operations Section within NASS but there are no statistics for this The figures are not broken down by region. The figures represent the reports which NASS' s Investigations Section received and information on who reported the incident is not recorded.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankans have sought political asylum in the UK in each of the last three years. [13446]
§ Angela EagleThe information is provided in the table.
Applications for asylum to the UK, excluding dependents, from nationals of Sri Lanka, 1998–20001 Year Applications 1998 3,505 1999 5,130 560W
Applications for asylum to the UK and initial decisions1 for nationals of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia and Iraq, excluding dependents, August 2000 to July 20012 Month Applications Initial decisions Grants of asylum Percentage of initial decisions Grant of ELR Percentage of initial decisions Refusals Percentage of initial decisions Afghanistan August 2000 495 180 15 9 40 23 120 68 September 2000 535 175 10 6 30 16 135 77 October 2000 560 410 45 11 30 7 340 82 November 2000 550 515 115 23 110 22 285 56 December 2000 535 545 130 24 255 47 160 29 January 2001 510 1,020 175 17 555 55 290 28 February 2001 615 1,320 225 17 785 59 310 24 March 2001 680 2,045 375 18 1,215 59 450 22 April 2001 700 930 195 21 550 59 185 20 May 2001 900 1,025 220 22 615 60 190 19 June 2001 910 985 220 22 600 61 165 17 July 2001 810 875 220 25 485 55 165 19 Total 7,790 10,020 1,955 19 5,265 53 2,800 28 Sri Lanka August 2000 445 470 45 10 25 6 365 78 September 2000 470 405 40 10 15 4 320 79 October 2000 565 675 105 15 10 1 565 83 November 2000 675 895 110 12 10 1 775 87 December 2000 610 770 90 12 20 3 655 85 January 2001 570 1,240 140 11 40 3 1,065 86
Applications for asylum to the UK, excluding dependents, from nationals of Sri Lanka, 1998–20001 Year Applications 20002 6,395 20012,3 3,060 1 All data rounded to nearest five 2 Provisional 3 January to July The information is published regularly in the annual statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom, a copy of which is available in the Library, and from the RDS website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum were made in each of the last 12 months by(a) Afghans, (b) Sri Lankans, (c) Somalians and (d) Iraqi Kurds; what proportion were (i) granted and (ii) refused; what proportion were granted exceptional leave to remain; and what proportion have been removed. [14022]
§ Angela EagleThe latest available information is provided in the table and relates to the number of applications and initial decisions made under normal procedures for principal applicants. Data on initial decisions are independent of applications data, and do not necessarily relate to applications lodged in the same period. Information on Iraqi Kurds is not available.
Following the initial decision, applicants have a right of appeal to the Immigration Appellate Authority.
Reliable information on the proportion of those refused asylum or exceptional leave to remain in the latest 12 months who were subsequently removed is not available. Information on the nationality of persons removed is not available due to data recording problems.
Information on asylum applications and initial decisions is published regularly in the annual statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom", a copy of which is available in the Library, and from the RDS website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/irrunigration1/html
561W
Applications for asylum to the UK and initial decisions1 for nationals of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia and Iraq, excluding dependents, August 2000 to July 20012 Month Applications Initial decisions Grants of asylum Percentage of initial decisions Grant of ELR Percentage of initial decisions Refusals Percentage of initial decisions February 2001 435 1,495 205 14 40 3 1,245 83 March 2001 410 1,950 260 13 90 5 1,600 82 April 2001 445 865 125 15 60 7 675 78 May 2001 425 805 105 13 40 5 660 82 June 2001 415 695 85 12 30 4 585 84 July 2001 355 565 85 15 30 5 450 80 Total 5,815 10,835 1,395 13 415 4 8,965 83 Somalia August 2000 615 680 210 31 125 19 325 48 September 2000 545 540 95 18 60 11 360 67 October 2000 485 445 105 23 30 6 315 70 November 2000 435 615 185 30 70 11 360 58 December 2000 420 525 160 30 80 16 285 54 January 2001 500 705 260 37 155 22 295 41 February 2001 380 805 345 43 165 20 300 37 March 2001 470 1,135 390 34 265 24 480 42 April 2001 420 565 240 42 140 25 185 33 May 2001 495 700 290 42 175 25 235 33 June 2001 505 460 180 39 135 29 145 32 July 2001 710 520 185 36 170 33 165 32 Total 5,980 7,690 2,645 34 1,570 20 3,440 45 Iraq August 2000 870 510 80 15 220 43 210 41 September 2000 1,035 345 45 14 105 30 200 58 October 2000 1,185 490 30 7 15 3 445 91 November 2000 1,205 580 60 10 25 5 495 85 December 2000 695 530 35 7 40 7 455 86 January 2001 755 1,180 65 6 90 7 1,030 87 February 2001 710 890 90 10 110 12 690 78 March 2001 425 1,280 105 8 190 15 985 77 April 2001 295 630 60 10 120 19 445 71 May 2001 340 780 65 8 135 17 580 74 June 2001 440 580 65 11 110 19 405 70 July 2001 580 580 45 8 125 22 410 71 Total 8,535 8,380 740 9 1,285 15 6,360 76 1 Cases decided under normal criteria. Excludes cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 asylum application backlog. 2 Provisional data. Notes:
All data except percentages are rounded to nearest five.
Columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.
Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.