§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum-seekers have been detained pending removal at the Oakington Immigration Reception Centre during 2003. [145365]
§ Beverley HughesInformation on the number of people detained pending removal from the United Kingdom and on the total number of detainees held under the Immigration Act during 2003 is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.
Applications1 received for asylum in Europe, including dependants, by year of application, 1988 to 2003 1998 1999 2000 20012 20023 20033 Austria 13,800 20,100 18,300 30,100 39,400 32,400 Belgium4 25,000 40,800 48,700 28,000 21,400 19,300 France4 25,500 35,100 44,200 53,900 58,100 69,300 Germany 98,600 95,100 78,600 88,300 71,100 50,400 Greece5 3,000 1,500 3,000 5,500 5,700 8,200 Italy6 9,500 33,400 18,000 9,600 7,300 n/a Luxembourg5 1,700 2,900 600 700 1.000 1,600 Netherlands 45,200 39,300 43,900 32,600 18,700 13,400 Portugal5 400 300 200 200 200 100 Spain 6,600 8,400 7,200 9,200 6.200 5,700 Denmark7 5,700 6,500 10,100 12,500 5,900 4,600 Finland7 1,300 3,100 3,200 1,700 3,400 3,100 Ireland 4,600 7,700. 10,900 10,300 11,600 7,900 Sweden7 12,800 11,200 16,300 23,500 33,000 31,400 United Kingdom8 58,500 91,200 98,900 91,600 103,100 61,100 Total EU 312,300 396,700 401,900 397,600 386,100 308,400 1Figures rounded to the nearest 100. 2Provisional figures. 3Revised figures. 4Figures based on IGC data but adjusted to include an estimated number of dependants. 5Figures based on UNCHR data, including dependants. 6UNHCR data. 7Signed up to the Schengen agreement but not operating its provisions. 8Figures have been adjusted to include an estimated number of dependants between 1998 and 2001,2002 and 2003 figures based on actual data. Annual data on asylum applications to EU member states are published in quarterly web pages and in the Home Office annual statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom, copies of which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration 1.html.
§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his forecasts are for asylum applications for each of the next five years; and what the comparable figures are for each EU member state. [155509]
§ Beverley HughesWe have already reduced the monthly intake of asylum applications by half since October 2002. Current policy initiatives, such as juxtaposed controls in France and the deployment of detection technology at continental ports, are designed to prevent those who seek to circumvent our controls at specific ports of entry from doing so. The Government are confident that this and further measures will continue to reduce misuse of the asylum system and the numbers of unfounded asylum claims. The measures we
520WThe latest available information on people held in the Immigration Removal Estate show that at 27 September 2003 260 people were housed at the Oakington Immigration Reception Centre.
§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications the UK has received for each of the last five years; and what the comparable figures are for each country in the European Union. [155508]
§ Beverley HughesThe table shows the number of asylum applications received in each European Union country in each of the last five years.
introduced in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and the subsequent robust measures to ensure the integrity of our borders are testament to that.
Population and migration projections are published by the Government Actuary's Department, available from the Library of the House.
§ Charles HendryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what(a) financial and (b) other support services are available to an asylum seeker aged between 16 and 18-years-old who is in the UK without family. [155641]
§ Beverley HughesServices for unaccompanied asylum seeking children aged between 16 and 18-years-old are the responsibility of local authority social services departments. Their needs are assessed and support services provided accordingly in ways that are the equivalent of any other child in need. In all but a very few cases the local authority will make all necessary financial provision for them. In the few cases, for example, where leave to remain has been granted and their individual social services pathway plan permits, they may access benefits as part of an overall range of provision.
521W
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied children he estimates arrived in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years from out side the EU. [155797]
§ Beverley HughesI regret that reliable information on the entry routes of unaccompanied children to the UK is not available. The available information which relates to the number of asylum applications made by unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the last five years is given in the table.
Asylum applications from unaccompanied children aged 17 or under1
Number of principal applicants Year Total Port In country 19982 3,035 1,085 1,955 19992 3,350 1,500 1,850 20002 2,735 1,395 1,340 20012 3,470 1,645 1,820 20023 6,200 1,240 4,955 20033,4 2,800 555 2,245 1Figures rounded to nearest five. Unaccompanied at point of arrival, aged (or if no proof) determined to be 17 or under and not known to be joining a relative or guardian in the UK. Figures exclude disputed age cases. 2May exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices. 3Not comparable with manual counts data prior to 2002. 4Provisional figures. Information on the number of asylum applications from unaccompanied children is published in quarterly web pages and in the annual statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom. Copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the UK are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research Development arid Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.Html