§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons applicants for asylum who were unsuccessful in 2003 were not removed. [164165]
§ Mr. BrowneThere are a number of reasons to explain why some people whose asylum applications were unsuccessful in 2003 have not yet been removed. The removal of a person is complex and several factors have to be taken into account before we are able to effect removal. These factors include assessing the various factors relating to an individual's removal and overcoming various barriers to removal, such as documentation issues and a lack of co-operation from receiving countries.
89WEvery effort is made to remove people as quickly as possible after refusal or the exhaustion of appeal rights. And we are taking action to overcome these obstacles. We have negotiated four new returns agreements in the last seven months, and are progressively extending biometrics in visas for countries where we know there is a problem. In the Asylum and Immigration Bill We are proposing penalties of up to two years for those who destroy their documents or won't cooperate with redocumentation, simplifying the appeals process to stop people lodging multiple appeals to frustrate removal, and encouraging voluntary removal by ending benefits for those whose claims have failed.
We are also expanding detention space available and increasing investment in the enforcement capability of the Immigration Service with sta. Ting increased from 1,677 in April 2002 to 2,463 in November 2003. We remain committed to making every effort remove and detect those people who have no right to be here.