§ Baroness Coxasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many dependants joined applicants for asylum after an initial decision on their case in each of the years 1995 to 2001, and are therefore not included in the published total of asylum seekers. [HL2846]
§ Lord RookerI regret that the information requested is unavailable and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Administrative records for applicants for asylum do not necessarily record how many dependants join applicants following initial decisions for a number of reasons. Some applicants leave the United Kingdom following the initial decision and are subsequently joined by dependants outside the United Kingdom, who would not be included in the pubished total. Some dependants may apply for asylum as principal applicants and therefore not be identifiable as dependants of existing or former applicants, but would be included in the published total. Some dependants may apply to enter the United Kingdom for temporary purposes (for example, as a visitor) or apply for settlement within the United Kingdom wihout either identifying that they wish to join a former or current asylum applicant or applying for asylum. These dependants would not be included in the published total of asylum seekers.
Information on asylum applications and initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl/html.