HC Deb 12 December 2002 vol 396 cc480-2W
Mrs. Ellman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi Kurds have been refused asylum in the past year. [86551]

Beverley Hughes

The tables show asylum initial decisions and appeal outcomes made on asylum applications from Iraqi nationals for each of the last 12 months. Appeal outcomes in any given time period do not necessarily relate to initial decisions made in the same period.

It is not possible to say how many of the applicants are of Kurdish origin. Data on the ethnic origin of asylum seekers are not collated centrally and could be produced by examination of individual case-files only at disproportionate cost.

Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication will cover the period October to December 2002, and will be available from 28 February 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html.

Table 1: initial decisions1,2 on applications received for asylum in the United Kingdom from nationals of Iraq, excluding dependants, October 2001 to September 2002
Principal applicants
Total initial decisions Grants of asylum Grants of ELR Refusals
2001
October 635 65 210 360
November 505 70 165 265
December 530 50 195 285
2002
January 910 85 435 390
February 765 65 405 290
March 860 65 585 210
April 980 75 705 200
May 890 65 625 200
June 675 55 445 175
July 1,065 65 785 215
August 885 45 660 175
September 1,120 40 815 265
Total 9,820 755 6,030 3,035
1Figures have been rounded to the nearest five, and are provisional.
2 Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.

Table 2: outcome of asylum appeals brought by nationals of Iraq, determined by adjudicators of the immigration appellate authority (IAA), October 2001 to September 2002 by month1
Principal appellants
Total Allowed Dismissed Withdrawn2
2001
October 255 60 175 25
November 280 60 185 35
December 230 40 165 25
2002
January 325 65 220 40
February 390 105 255 25
March 430 105 285 40
April 495 135 320 40
May 470 130 300 40
June 320 80 210 30
July 380 65 280 35
August 420 90 280 45
September 395 100 255 40
Total 4,390 1,035 2,940 420
1 Provisional figures rounded to the nearest five. Appeals do not necessarily relate to initial Home Office decisions in the same month.
2 Figures include cases withdrawn by the Home Office as well as the appellant.