§ Tom CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women who had entered the United Kingdom from Somalia and who were refused the right to remain were removed from the United Kingdom during 2003. [148069]
§ Beverley HughesInformation on the total number of people who are removed from the United Kingdom is not available by nationality and gender, except by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.
§ Tom CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the longest outstanding asylum case still awaiting a final decision is; and if he will make a statement. [148954]
§ Beverley HughesInformation on individual decisions, up to and including the outcome of all potential appeals, is not readily available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case files. This would incur disproportionate cost.
29,100 cases were awaiting an initial decision at the end of September 2003, the lowest level for more than a decade; of these 8,500 cases were work in progress i.e. the application had been outstanding for six months or less.
Provisional data show that 81 per cent. of applications received in the period April to June 2003 had initial decisions reached and served within two months and that 74 per cent. of applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases1) received in 2002–03 were decided and served within two months. This exceeded the Government's target of 65 per cent. for 2002–03 and was a significant increase on the corresponding figure of 61 per cent. for 2001–02.
Information on the number of asylum applications awaiting initial decision and the timeliness of initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
1 Cases which may be the responsibility of other EU member states under the Dublin Convention.
§ Tom CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people sought(a) political and (b) religious asylum in the United Kingdom in 2003; how many were granted the right to remain; and how many failed in their applications and were removed. [148955]
§ Beverley HughesThe number of people applying for asylum in the United Kingdom during 2003 is not currently available. Provisional data for the number of asylum applications made in 2003 will be published as part of the quarterly asylum statistics on 24 February, on260W the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ rds/immigration1.html
Information on the outcomes of asylum applications made in 2003 will be published in the annual Home Office Statistical bulletin 'Asylum Statistics United Kingdom'. It is planned that the annual publication for 2003 data will be published at the end of August 2004.
§ Tony BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people making asylum applications over the next three years. [149338]
§ Beverley HughesWe have already reduced the number of asylum applications by half since October 2002, meeting the ambitious target set by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister. 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. Measures in the Asylum and Immigration Bill currently before Parliament—for example, measures aimed at those who deliberately destroy their documents to obstruct the processing of their case—will help deter unfounded claims. Together, these measures will reduce overall numbers still further.
§ Tony BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of those seeking asylum he expects to be housed in accommodation centres pending their applications being determined. [149339]
§ Beverley HughesAccommodation centres will be introduced on a trial basis with a total capacity of up to 3,000 places during the trial period. We cannot predict what proportion this would constitute of the total number of asylum seekers: this will depend on the average length of stay at an accommodation centre, as well as the number of people claiming asylum and the average period it takes to determine their applications.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision is in place for asylum seekers delayed from leaving the United Kingdom through no fault of their own, under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. [150336]
§ Beverley HughesThe current legislation requires that, with the exception of families including children under the age of 18, support for asylum seekers whose claims are unsuccessful must end once a final decision is made on the asylum claim. Families continue to receive support until they leave or fail to comply with directions for their removal. Unsuccessful asylum seekers are expected to leave the country but, where this is not possible due to circumstances entirely beyond the person's control, they may be provided with accommodation under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Generally speaking accommodation will be full board since there is no provision for payment of financial support.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to ensure that child asylum seekers are only detained for very short periods prior to removal. [150337]
261W
§ Beverley HughesUnaccompanied minors are not detained other than in one very limited circumstance: where, exceptionally, it is necessary to detain a child while alternative care arrangements are made and, then, normally just overnight.
Families with children may be detained in the following circumstances: initially, while their identities and basis of claim are established; where there are reasonable grounds for believing that they will fail to comply with the conditions of temporary admission or release; or to effect removal. In addition, families whose asylum claims appear to be capable of being decided quickly may be detained as part of a fast-track process.
The detention of families with children is subject to rigorous and frequent review by a central unit within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). Where detention is for the purpose of effecting the removal of the family concerned its continuation will be authorised only where it is clear that there is a realistic prospect of removal within a reasonable period of time and that satisfactory progress is being made towards removal. If these criteria are not met, further detention is unlikely to be authorised. In the majority of such cases, detention will last for just a few days immediately prior to removal. For those cases where, exceptionally, detention for a longer period is necessary we have introduced a system whereby the detention of any family with children beyond 28 days is subject to Ministerial authority and review. In addition, a senior IND official has been appointed to oversee all detained family cases to ensure that there are no administrative barriers to speedy case progression.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in ensuring consistent standards in removal centres. [150339]
§ Beverley HughesIt is clearly important for standards across the immigration removal estate to be more consistent and we are working to ensure that this is the case.
All removal centres are already required to operate under the Detention Centre Rules 2001, which regulate the operation and management of removal centres and the treatment of detained persons.
In addition, a comprehensive set of Operating Standards are in the process of being developed and issued to all removal centre operators. These Operating Standards set out the minimum requirements expected of operators. It is, of course, open to individual operators to exceed these minimum requirements or, where no single approach is stipulated, to select the most appropriate means of meeting a particular standard in the centre concerned. The individual standards are subject to extensive consultation. To date, Operating Standards have been issued on the following subjects: activities (adults and children); catering; complaints and requests procedures; female detainees; health care; race relations; religion; suicide and self-harm; temporary confinement; and use of force.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment is made of the needs of children before they go to detention centres. [149823]
262W
§ Beverley HughesThe general needs of children are considered when a decision to detain a family is made and when the family is taken into detention. Once detained, rule 11(3) of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 requires removal centre operators to provide everything reasonably necessary for detained persons' protection, safety and well-being and for the maintenance and care of infants and children.
Families with children are currently detained at either Dungavel or Tinsley House Removal Centres or Oakington Reception Centre. In all cases they are accommodated in dedicated family rooms within the centre so as to ensure that family members are not separated and, so far as practicable within the constraints of detention, are able to maintain family life. These centres are well equipped and the staff that work there are well qualified to recognise children's needs and where necessary ensure special provision is made.
At Dungavel, where there is a well-established education provision for school-age children, all children are assessed when they arrive to establish their learning needs. We have recently announced our intention to enhance these assessments and introduce contingency curriculum arrangements for children in longer term detention.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision is made for children to be educated in detention centres. [149825]
§ Beverley HughesRemoval centres that may hold families with children for anything more than a few days are required to have arrangements in place to provide educational classes to the children concerned. At present, this relates only to Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre and Oakington Reception Centre. The education provision at Dungavel is well established. Classes run every day throughout the week for all school age children. A range of subjects is covered including English, maths, science, food technology and history. Music and art are also provided. The position at Oakington is different in that the need for educational provision has arisen only comparatively recently and is in the process of being developed.