Asylum Seekers (Hansard, 1 May 2002)

§ Mr. Soames
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the Afghans who landed at Stansted in February 2000 in a hijacked aircraft are in Britain; and what their immigration status is. [52922]

§ Angela Eagle
[holding answer 30 April 2002]: Of the 170 people who arrived on the aircraft, 81, including the flight crew, returned to Afghanistan. Thirteen of the passengers, together with their 21 dependants, have asylum applications that are still undecided. This group includes the convicted hijackers. Thirty passengers with five dependants were refused asylum but remain in the United Kingdom pending the outcome of their appeal to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal. Six passengers and 12 dependants have been granted refugee status. Two passengers who previously indicated that they wished to return to Afghanistan have now indicated that they no longer wish to do so and their status is under consideration.

§ Mr. Soames
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many dependants joined applicants for asylum after an initial decision on their case and are not included in the published total of asylum seekers in each of the years from 1995 to 2001; [52762]
(2) how many dependants are identified in the administrative records as joining asylum seekers after the initial decision on their cases in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [52761]

§ Angela Eagle
[holding answer 30 April 2002]: I regret that the information requested is unavailable and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
818W
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 published 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 without 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/immigration 1.html

§ Mr. Soames
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are taken to ensure that those who are refused asylum and who agree to depart voluntarily do so. [52764]

§ Angela Eagle
[holding answer 30 April 2002]: A voluntary departure is where an asylum seekers withdraws their asylum claim before all appeal rights have been exhausted and wishes to leave the United Kingdom. In all cases they are asked to sign a disclaimer confirming that they wish to leave prior to the conclusion of their application.
Some individuals make themselves known to the immigration service at the point of embarkation, for example, in order to collect ticketing and other documentation. The immigration service will conform with the carrier that individuals have departed from the United Kingdom.
If an individual does not inform the immigration service of his intentions and obtains his/her own documents, we may not be aware that he/she has departed from the United Kingdom.
Where a person is voluntarily leaving the United Kingdom under the Voluntary Assisted Returns Programme (VARP), operated on behalf of the Home Office by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), they will be assisted at the airport by the IOM. Before the flight leaves, the individual is required to sign a disclaimer confirming that the departure is voluntary. The IOM's London office advises IOM offices in the destination country and any transit country of the departure and notifies the Home Office.

§ Mr. Soames
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants have been dealt with under the backlog clearing exercise; and how many of them were granted(a) asylum and (b) exceptional leave to remain. [52766]

§ Angela Eagle
[holding answer 30 April 2002]: Record levels of initial decisions in 2000 and 2001 led to a reduction in the number of cases awaiting an initial decision—from 119,700 cases at the end of December 819W 1999 to 39,400 at the end of December 2001. Initial decisions continue to outstrip applications, so the number of outstanding cases continues to fall.
The data requested are shown in the table. This information relates to cases decided under measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 asylum application backlog during 1999 and 2000.

Asylum cases considered under the backlog clearance exercise ^1.2 Principal applicants only

1999 2000³ Total

Total cases 12,415 11,660 24,075

Granted asylum under backlog criteria 945 305 1,250

Granted ELR under backlog criteria 10,195 10,020 20,215

Refused under backlog criteria⁴ 1,275 1,335 2,605

¹ Figures are rounded to the nearest 5, and exclude dependents.

² Some cases decided under the backlog criteria may not be included, as they may be included in the figures showing cases considered under normal procedures.

³ Provisional data

⁴ Includes some cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.

Information on initial decisions is published quarterly. The next publication will cover the period up to March 2002, and will be available from 30 May 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/ immigration1.html.

§ Mr. Soames
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Government Departments provided support for asylum seekers in(a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01. [52768]

§ Angela Eagle
[holding answer 30 April 2002]: In 1999–2000 support for asylum seekers was provided by the Department for Social Security (now Department for Work and Pensions), the Department of Health and the Home Office. The Department of Social Security (DSS) provided support to those asylum seekers who made their application for asylum at a port of entry until such time as an initial decision was made on the claim. But the costs of support provided by the DSS were met by the Home Office. The Department of Health was responsible for funding the support costs of unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The Home Office was responsible for payment of grant to local authorities who were supporting asylum seekers who had either applied for asylum in country or who, having applied at a United Kingdom port of entry, had received an initial negative decision on their claim and were appealing against that decision.
In 2000–01 support for asylum seekers was mainly provided by the Home Office. Support was provided either directly by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) or by grant paid to local authorities to meet the direct costs of those supported under the interim provisions. In 2000–01 the grant to social services departments caring for unaccompanied asylum seeking children was also met by the Home Office. The DSS provided support for those asylum seekers who applied for asylum at a port of entry prior to 3 April 2000 and who had not received an initial decision on their claim. Again these costs were met by the Home Office.
820W

§ Mr. Soames
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants were(a) finally refused and (b) removed in (i) 1999-2–000 and (ii) 2000–01. [52769]

§ Angela Eagle
[holding answer 30 April 2002]: Information on final decisions is not readily available and could be obtained only by examining individual case files to obtain information on the outcomes of initial decisions, of subsequent appeals to the Immigration Appellate Authority and the Tribunal, and of cases which have been reconsidered, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Information on initial decisions which refused asylum and Exceptional Leave to Remain (ELR) during these years is shown in the table. This table represents principal applicants only.

Initial decisions to refuse asylum and ELR, 1999–2000 and 2000–01^1,2

1999–2000 2000–01

Total initial decisions 52,040 132,840

Refused asylum and ELR under normal procedures³ 23,720 97,040

Refused asylum and ELR under backlog criteria^4.5 1,490 1,110

¹ Data are rounded to the nearest 5 and exclude dependants.

² Provisional data.

⁴ Cases considered under normal procedures may include some cases decided under the backlog criteria.

⁴ Cases decided under measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 asylum application backlog.

⁵ Includes some cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.

The number of failed asylum applicants removed in 1999–2000 and 2000–01 is shown in the table. This table represents principal applicants only.

Asylum seekers¹ removed^2,3

Year Number

1999–2000 7,915

2000–01 ⁴8,930

¹ Persons who had sought asylum at some point, excluding dependants.

¹ Figures rounded to the nearest 5.

³ Includes persons departing 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them and persons leaving under the Assisted Voluntary Returns Programme run by the International Organisation for Migration.

⁴ Provisional figure.

Removals in 1999–2000 and 2000–01 do not necessarily relate to refusals in the same period.
Information on initial decisions and the number of asylum seekers removed from the United Kingdom is published on a quarterly basis on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uldrds/immigration1.html.

§ Mr. Soames
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of accommodating asylum seekers and those already granted asylum and exceptional leave to remain in the financial year 2000–01. [52770]
821W

§ Angela Eagle
[holding answer 30 April 2002]: Home Office expenditure on supporting destitute asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, in 2000–01 was £751 million.
Those granted refugee status and exceptional leave to remain are entitled to work and to mainstream benefits and figures for the costs are not available.

Asylum cases considered under the backlog clearance exercise ^1.2 Principal applicants only
	1999	2000³	Total
Total cases	12,415	11,660	24,075
Granted asylum under backlog criteria	945	305	1,250
Granted ELR under backlog criteria	10,195	10,020	20,215
Refused under backlog criteria⁴	1,275	1,335	2,605
¹ Figures are rounded to the nearest 5, and exclude dependents.
² Some cases decided under the backlog criteria may not be included, as they may be included in the figures showing cases considered under normal procedures.
³ Provisional data
⁴ Includes some cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.

Initial decisions to refuse asylum and ELR, 1999–2000 and 2000–01^1,2
1999–2000	2000–01
Total initial decisions	52,040	132,840
Refused asylum and ELR under normal procedures³	23,720	97,040
Refused asylum and ELR under backlog criteria^4.5	1,490	1,110
¹ Data are rounded to the nearest 5 and exclude dependants.
² Provisional data.
⁴ Cases considered under normal procedures may include some cases decided under the backlog criteria.
⁴ Cases decided under measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 asylum application backlog.
⁵ Includes some cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.

Asylum seekers¹ removed^2,3
Year	Number
1999–2000	7,915
2000–01	⁴8,930
¹ Persons who had sought asylum at some point, excluding dependants.
¹ Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
³ Includes persons departing 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them and persons leaving under the Assisted Voluntary Returns Programme run by the International Organisation for Migration.
⁴ Provisional figure.