§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the immigration status of a person who is given permanent leave to remain in the UK because they are marrying a British citizen who divorces that person a number of years later; and if such a person then has a right to a claim on public funds. [41277]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 7 March 2002]: A person granted indefinite leave to remain on the basis of their marriage to a British Citizen does not forfeit that status if they later divorce. They will retain their settled status and their eligibility for public funds.
§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people whose immigration status is irregular in terms of(a) visitors who have overstayed, (b) students who have overstayed, (c). asylum seekers who have exhausted their appeal rights and (d) illegal entrants who have made no attempt to regularise their stay; what information he has on the average length of stay of such people; and what his policy is for regularising their situation. [39493]
§ Angela EagleNo estimates have been made of the number of persons in the categories requested and information on the average length of stay of such persons is not available. No Government have ever been able to give reliable estimates of this nature. However, the Home Office has commissioned a study which will consider methods of estimating the size and characteristics of the illegal population.
It remains our policy that overstayers and illegal entrants are liable to removal from the United Kingdom. The Immigration Service seeks to remove from the United Kingdom all persons who no longer have any basis of stay.