§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Zimbabwean asylum seekers are being detained; whether the policy of the Government is not to return them to Zimbabwe; and if so, why these people are not being granted temporary admission. [HL4059]
175WA
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker)The latest available information on the number of persons detained under Immigration Act powers relates to 29 December 2001. As at that date, 135 Zimbabweans (to the nearest five) were being detained who are recorded as having claimed asylum at some stage, which excludes persons detained in police cells. Forty-five of these were being held at Oakington Reception Centre as part of the fast-track asylum process.
Information on Immigration Act detainees as at 30 March 2002 will be published on 30 May 2002 on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
We have continued, where appropriate, to detain Zimbabwean asylum seekers at Oakington Reception Centre as part of the fast-track asylum process. Aside from such individuals, there will be a small number of people who are detained at present pending removal while persons concerned will normally be granted bail or temporary admission as appropriate while the suspension of removals remains in place.
On 15 January 2001, we announced a temporary suspension of returns of unsuccessful asylum applicants to Zimbabwe. We will resume these only when we are satisfied that it is safe to do so, and not before. We are monitoring events in the aftermath of the Zimbabwe presidential election in close liaison with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). There is no set time-scale, but it would be unrealistic to be able to make any decision on a resumption of removals until the immediate post-election situation has calmed down and we have had time to assess properly the risks to returnees and gather and consider the views of FCO and others.