§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications for asylum there were in Northern Ireland in 2002; and how many of those unsuccessful applicants have left the country. [120891]
§ Beverley HughesI have been asked to reply.
Information on asylum applications in Northern Ireland is unavailable. Asylum applications data are not available at regional level except by port of application. Information on initial decision outcomes, appeals outcomes, and removals relates to the UK as a whole and is not available by region of application and therefore the requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records. Information on the numbers of failed asylum seekers who have left Northern Ireland is not available, because some individuals leave the UK without informing the Immigration Service.