§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what(a) material assistance and (b) protection is given to asylum seekers returned to their home countries. [100012]
§ Beverley HughesFor asylum seekers who choose to return on a voluntary basis we provide an independent counselling service and an in-kind grant of £500, which provides support to promote re-integration. For Afghans returning voluntarily, there is also a cash payment programme providing £600 for individuals and up to £2,500 for families, and access to a training and employment project in Afghanistan. Protection is not provided to asylum seekers returning voluntarily because they have withdrawn their claim.
Those subject to enforced removal do not receive the benefits of voluntary return. The exception is Afghans, subject to enforced removal, who may have access to a training and employment project in Afghanistan. Protection is not considered necessary as their claim has been found to be unsubstantiated.
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§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under 18 years of age have applied for asylum in each year since 1997. [100313]
§ Beverley Hughes13,025 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom were lodged by asylum seekers under 18 in 2002. 8,705 applications were lodged in 2001. In addition, it is estimated that approximately 6,400 asylum seekers aged under 18 applied for asylum in 2000, 3,600 in 1999, 4,600 in 1998 and 1,600 in 1997. These figures exclude dependants, and may overstate since some applicants aged 18 or over may claim to be younger.
Information on asylum applications by age and gender is published annually in the statistical bulletin 'Asylum Statistics United Kingdom', a copy of which is available in the Library and from the RDS website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html.
§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are used to(a) identify child asylum seekers and (b) assist them in gaining contact with their parents. [100316]
§ Beverley HughesThe Immigration Rules (HC 395, as amended) define a child as a person who is under 18 years of age or who, in the absence of documentary evidence establishing age, appears to be under that age. In the absence of documentary evidence it falls to officers of the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate to make the judgment as to whether an applicant is under or over 18, based on the appearance of the applicant. Social Services Departments make use of services such as the Red Cross to trace family where this is feasible and in accordance with the child's needs and wishes.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children claimed asylum on arrival in the UK in each of the last five years. [100478]
§ Beverley Hughes2,290 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom were lodged at ports by asylum seekers under 18 in 2002. 2,195 applications were lodged in 2001. These figures exclude dependants, and may overstate since some applicants aged 18 or over may claim to be younger. Information for years prior to 2001 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
Information on asylum applications by age and gender is published annually in the statistical bulletin 'Asylum Statistics United Kingdom', a copy of which is available in the Library and from the RDS website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1. html.
§ Andy BurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were placed in each local authority area in England under the dispersal policy in each year since 1998. [98680]
§ Beverley HughesThe information is not available in the form requested. Statistics are only available on the dispersal of asylum seekers who are supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) since it commenced operation in April 2000.
1067WNumbers of asylum seekers placed in NASS accommodation under the dispersal policy are available on a quarterly and annual basis. These statistics are available on the Home Office's Immigration and Asylum Statistics website: http://www.homeoffice. gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
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Region Local Authority Dispersed Disbenefited Total England Darlington 35 — 35 North East Gateshead 565 — 580 — — — 15 — — Hartlepool 50 — 50 — Middlesbrough 770 — 770 — Newcastle upon Tyne 1,775 — 1,775 — — — 5 — — North Tyneside 500 — 500 — Redcar and Cleveland 355 — 355 — South Tyneside 170 — 170 — Stockton-on-Tees 740 — 740 — Sunderland 1,030 — 1,030 — Total 5,995 — 6,010 — — — 15 — North West Burrow-in-Furness — — 5 — — — 5 — — Blackburn with Darwen 670 — 670 — Bolton 1,160 — 1,160 — Burnley 55 — 55 — Bury 625 — 625 — Crewe and Nantwich 10 — 10 — Ellesmere Port and — — 5 — Neston — 5 — — Hyndburn 15 — 15 — Liverpool 1,925 — 1,925 — Manchester 1,705 — 1,725 — — — 20 — — Oldham 660 — 660 — — — 5 — — Pendle 75 — 75 — Rochdale 440 — 440 — Salford 1,235 — 1,240 — — — 10 — — Sefton 125 — 125 — St. Helens — — 5 — — 5 — — — Stockport 265 — 270 — — — 5 — — Tameside 315 — 315 — Trafford 130 — 135 — Wigan 860 — 860 — Total 10,275 — 10,325 — — — 45 — Yorkshire and the Humber Barnsley 495 — 495 Bradford 1,640 — 1,650 — — — 10 — — Calderdale 380 — 380 — Doncaster 995 — 1,015 — — — 20 — — Kingston upon Hull, City of 1,010 — 1,010 — Kirklees 935 — 935 — Leeds 1,685 — 1,690 — — — 5 — — North East Lincolnshire 170 — 170 — Rotherham 695 — 695 — Sheffield 1,645 — 1,645 — — — 5 — — Wakefield 530 — 530 — York — — 5 — — — 5 — — Total 10,185 — 10,225 — — — 40 — East Midlands Charnwood 10 — 10 — Corby — — 5 Figures for asylum seekers in receipt of NASS accommodation support in each Local Authority area as at the end of December 2002 are given in the table. Information in respect of the number of persons dispersed to an area during a given year is not available.
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Region Local Authority Dispersed Disbenefited Total — — — 5 — — Derby 1,550 — 1,550 — Gedling 20 — 20 — Leicester 1,260 — 1,260 — Lincoln 115 — 115 — Northampton — — 5 — — — 5 — — Nottingham 1,570 — 1,570 — Rushclife — — 5 — — — 5 — — Total 4,525 — 4,540 — — — 10 — West Midlands Birmingham 3,530 — 3,555 — — — 25— — Coventry 1,595 — 1,595 — Dudley 695 — 695 — Herefordshire, County of — — 5 — — — 5 — — Newcastle-under-Lyme 70 — 70 — Sandwell 830 — 835 — — — 5 — — Solihull 110 — 110 — Stoke-on-Trent 1,255 — 1,260 — — — 5 — — Walsall 555 — 555 — Wolverhampton 1,625 — 1,625 — — — 5 — — Wychavon — — 5 — — — 5 — — Total 10,260 — 10,305 — — — 45 — East of England Bedford — ⋆ ⋆ — — — 15 — — Cambridge — — — — Epping Forest 10 — 10 — Ipswich 75 — 75 — Luton — — 5 — Peterborough 405 — 425 — — — 20 — — Total 490 — 535 — — — 40 — Greater London Barking and Dagenham 5 40 45 — Barnet 15 75 90 — Bexley — 10 10 — Brent — 50 50 — Bromley — 20 20 — Camden 10 20 35 — Croydon — 50 50 — Ealing — 90 90 — Enfield 165 200 365 — Greenwich — 45 45 — Hackney 50 90 135 — Hammersmith and Fulham — 95 95 — Haringey 260 260 520 — Harrow — 65 65 — Havering — ⋆ ⋆ — Hillingdon — 20 20 — Hounslow — 35 35 — Islington 30 115 145 — — Kensington and Chelsea — 15 15 — Kingston upon Thames 5 25 25 — Lambeth 50 50 100 — Lewisham — 80 80 — Merton — 20 20 — Newham 60 120 180 — Redbridge — 25 25 — Richmond upon Thames — 15 15 — Southwark — 55 55 — Tower Hamlets — 20 20 — Waltham Forest 55 120 175 — Wandsworth — 35 35
Region Local Authority Dispersed Disbenefited Total — Westminster — 40 40 — Total 710 1,900 2,605 South East Ashford — 10 10 — Brighton and Hove 60 15 75 — Hastings 225 — 225 — Medway — 10 10 — Oxford — 15 15 — Portsmouth 340 — 340 — Shepway — 5 5 — Slough — 15 15 — Southampton 455 5 460 — Thanet — 15 15 — Wycombe — 5 5 — Total 1,080 100 1,180 South West Bristol, City of 410 — 410 — Exeter 65 — 65 — Gloucester — 10 10 — Plymouth 375 — 375 — South Gloucestershire 55 — 55 — Swindon 5 5 10 — Total 915 10 925 (England) Total 44,440 2,210 46,650 Wales Cardiff 1,000 — 1,000 — Neath Port Talbot ⋆ — ⋆ — Newport 110 5 115 — Swansea 410 — 410 — Wrexham 55 — 55 — Total 1,580 5 1,585 Scotland Glasgow City 5,665 — 5,665 — Total 5,665 — 5,665 Northern Ireland Belfast 135 — 135 — Newry and Mourne ⋆ — ⋆ — Newtownabbey 30 — 30 — Carrickfergus 5 — 5 — Total 170 — 170 (United Kingdom) Total 51,850 2,220 54,070 1 Disbenefited cases are cases which were previously supported under the main UK benefits system and have been moved onto NASS support. Some of these cases have remained in the original social services accommodation. Note:
All figures have been rounded to the nearest 5, figures between 1 and 2 are represented by a ⋆. Only those Local Authorities where NASS dispersed or disbenefitted cases are resident are shown.
§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time is between the arrival in the UK and the date of asylum application of those asylum seekers who have been refused support by NASS under sections 55 or 57 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and for whom figures are available; how many applied for asylum within(a) 24 hours, (b) one week and (c) one month of their arrival in the UK; and what his estimate is of the number of asylum seekers who have been refused support by NASS under sections 55 or 57 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (i) in total and (ii) on each day since 8 January. [99528]
§ Beverley HughesInformation on the date of arrival of applicants who apply in-country is not available because, for example, some may have entered clandestinely. Nor is information collated centrally on the time between the claimed date of arrival in the UK and the date on which an asylum claim was made. Information on the operation of sections 55 and 57 of the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 will be published in due course.