HC Deb 19 January 2004 vol 416 cc973-4W
Lady Hermon

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested through powers exercised under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001; how long the detention lasted in each case; and if he will make a statement. [145076]

Mr. Blunkett

Individuals who are detained under Part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 (ATCS) are not arrested. They are detained under Immigration powers pursuant to a certificate issued under Part 4 of the ATCS Act 2001, pending their removal from the United Kingdom.

In terms of numbers, I refer the hon. Member to my Written Ministerial Statement of 18 November 2003, Official Report, column 27WS. No further certifications or detentions made since then.

Under the other 12 Parts of the ATCS Act, Home Office records show that there have been 24 convictions under Part 5 (Racial and Religious Hatred) of the Act. Arrest figures for Part 5 of the Act and figures for the length of time each individual is detained are not held centrally. In addition, six people have been arrested

Removals and voluntary1 departures of principal asylum applicants (excluding dependants): January 1997 to June 20032,3,4
Nationality 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 January to

June 2003
Democratic Republic of Congo 60 20 n/a n/a 20 35 10
1 Includes persons departing "voluntarily" 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.
3 Data have been estimated due to data quality issues
4 Provisional figures

n/a not available

Information on the destination of removals is not available.

Current advice from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate is that it is not safe to return nationals to the Democratic Republic of Congo other than to Kinshasa.

Annabelle Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many and what proportion of asylum seekers in each country of the United Kingdom had achieved, prior to their entry into the

under Part 13 of the Act (Miscellaneous provisions including noxious substances; hoaxes involving noxious substances; failure to disclose information about acts of terrorism and terrorist training).