HC Deb 21 October 2003 vol 411 cc548-51W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) failed asylum seekers and (b) non-asylum seekers have been deported in each quarter of each of the last three years; to which countries they have been returned; and if he will make a statement. [131979]

Beverley Hughes

Deportations are a specific subset of removals alongside persons subject to administrative removal, removal due to Illegal entry action or those refused entry at port and subsequently removed. Information on the destination of enforced removals is not available. Table 1 shows the number of principal asylum seekers who were removed from the United Kingdom between 2001 and the first quarter of 2003—the latest available data—by nationality. This information is not available for removals made in 2000.

Information on the removal of persons other than asylum seekers is not available by nationality or by quarter. 37,665 non-asylum cases were removed from the UK in 2000, 39,850 in 2001 and 54,720 in 2002. These figures include those persons who departed 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them.

Information on the removal of asylum applicants is published quarterly, and on the removals of other immigration cases is published annually. The next quarterly publication will be available from the end of November 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html Information on the removal of persons other than asylum seekers is not available by nationality or by quarter. 37,665 non-asylum cases were removed from the UK in 2000, 39,850 in 2001 and 54,720 in 2002. These figures include those persons who departed 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them.

Information on the removal of asylum applicants is published quarterly, and on the removals of other immigration cases is published annually. The next quarterly publication will be available from the end of November 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Table 1 Removals and voluntary departures1of asylum applicants, excluding dependants, by nationality, 2001 to Q1 20032
Number of principal applicants
Nationality Q1 20013, 4(E) Q2 20013, 4(E) Q3 20013, 4(E) Q4 20013, 4(E) Q1 20023, 4(E) (P) Q2 20023, 4(E) (P) Q3 30023, 4(E) (P) Q4 20023, 4(E) (P) Q1 20033, 4(E) (P)
Albania 125 150 135 120 110 150 140 115 105
Bulgaria 5 15 25 20 20 20 10 15 10
Cyprus * * * * * 5 5 5 *
Czech Republic 185 230 195 185 170 110 190 320 270
Slovakia 25 10 10 10 15 20 20 25 20
Hungary * 5 5 - * 5 * 5 *

Table 1 Removals and voluntary departures1of asylum applicants, excluding dependants, by nationality, 2001 to Q1 20032
Number of principal applicants
Nationality Q1 20013,4(E) Q2 20013,4(E) Q3 20013,4(E) Q4 20013,4(E) Q1 20023,4(E) (P) Q2 20023,4(E) (P) Q3 30023,4(E) (P) Q4 20023,4(E) (P) Q1 20033,4(E) (P)
Poland 150 150 145 160 140 135 135 225 260
Romania 105 130 100 115 115 150 160 135 130
Turkey 35 50 35 50 60 100 110 90 45
Russia 30 15 35 30 20 25 20 20 20
Ukraine 45 60 70 75 65 60 65 45 35
FRY 240 455 445 560 505 605 625 510 475
Other Former USSR 175 175 200 165 155 160 185 230 180
Other Former Yugoslavia 20 15 10 25 35 25 40 20 30
Europe Other 10 20 20 5 5 10 5 5 10
Europe Total 1,155 1.480 1,430 1,535 1,415 1,565 1,715 1,755 1,590
Brazil 20 5 10 5 5 5 5 5 5
Colombia 50 40 35 50 25 20 20 50 25
Ecuador 20 35 20 15 25 20 35 35 30
Jamaica 65 35 35 45 40 50 55 75 55
Peru - - - - * - - * *
United States of America - 5 5 5 * * * - *
Americas Other 10 5 10 5 5 15 25 5 5
Americas Total 165 125 110 125 100 115 150 175 120
Algeria 25 20 45 35 35 40 25 30 45
Angola 5 5 5 5 15 15 10 15 15
Dem. Rep. Congo 5 5 10 5 15 5 5 5 5
Egypt - 5 5 * . 5 5 5 *
Ethiopia * 5 * * 5 * * * *
Gambia 10 10 5 5 5 10 5 5 *
Ghana 30 25 35 20 25 45 30 40 15
Ivory Coast * 5 5 10 10 20 5 10 5
Kenya 20 25 20 25 30 15 20 30 35
Liberia - * - - - 5 * - -
Libya * * * 5 - 5 * * 5
Mauritius 5 * - 5 * * - - *
Morocco 5 5 5 - * - 5 5
Niger * - - * * * * -
Nigeria 55 55 55 70 70 60 75 85 50
Seychelles - - - - * - 5
Sierra Leone 5 5 10 10 15 20 15 15 20
Somalia 15 5 5 5 15 15 10 10 10
South Africa 5 5 10 5 15 5 10 10 10
Sudan * * 5 5 5 5 5 5 10
Tanzania 20 10 5 10 5 5 5 5 5
Uganda 10 10 10 15 20 15 30 35 30
Zimbabwe 50 35 65 65 25 30 25 25 15
Africa Other 25 20 20 30 35 35 35 30 65
Africa Total 290 250 320 330 355 365 320 365 350
Iran 20 70 35 45 50 40 50 35 40
Iraq 40 25 15 15 35 40 60 55 90
Lebanon 5 5 5 5 5 5 10 10 10
Middle East Other 20 15 5 10 10 15 15 15 10
Middle East Total 85 115 65 70 105 100 135 110 150
Afghanistan 15 10 35 65 95 135 110 55 65
Bangladesh 40 25 30 50 30 35 45 35 25
China 20 15 20 30 20 10 15 10 10
India 100 85 110 135 95 90 75 85 55
Pakistan 140 135 135 85 110 125 90 95 90
Sri Lanka 35 40 40 40 60 85 115 120 115
Asia Other 25 15 20 25 40 35 35 15 35
Asia Total 370 325 390 435 450 505 480 415 395
Nat. not known3 40 25 30 30 20 5 5 10 10
Grand Total 2,100 2,325 2,340 2,520 2.445 2.660 2,805 2.830 2,620
1Includes persons departing voluntarily 1 after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the international Organisation for Migration, and removals on safe third country grounds
2 Figures rounded to the nearest five, with *= 1 or 2, and may not sum due to rounding.
3Figures may include a small number of dependants leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes.
4Figures exclude dependants of asylum seekers removed. Data on dependants removed have only been collected since April 2001.
(E) Data have been estimated due to data quality issues.
(P) Provisional figures

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average rate of response is by relevant embassies in replacing lost or damaged documentation of asylum seekers in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [132387]

Beverley Hughes

The exact information requested is not available and could only be gathered at disproportionate cost by detailed examination of individual casefiles. This is because applications for documentation by the Immigration Service are not broken down to reflect those which arise as a result of lost or damaged documents.

The documentation of those persons who fail to be removed from the United Kingdom is an important issue and the Immigration Service Documentation Unit (ISDU) was established in order to facilitate and organise the provision of documentation in such cases. ISDU liaises closely with foreign Embassies and High Commissions in order to secure the issue of travel documents and to reach agreement on the associated processes.

Every country has its own procedures, criteria, and requirements which must be met in order to establish identity and nationality and these procedures, and the timescales associated with them, vary from nationality to nationality.

Given the wide differences between individual countries any averaged figure would be misleading and therefore unhelpful.

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers in(a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales are awaiting deportation as a result of vandalised documentation. [132388]

Beverley Hughes

The information requested is not available and could only be obtained by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Peter Duncan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to prevent the destruction of travel documents by asylum seekers who aim to delay their deportation. [132389]

Beverley Hughes

On the 28 August 2003 my righ hon. Friend the Home Secretary made a statement that he would be considering new legislation to tackle asylum seekers who destroy their travel documents in order to delay their removal from the United Kingdom. That legislation is still under consideration, and it is expected that we will be making a further statement about this matter in due course.