HC Deb 08 June 2004 vol 422 cc310-4W
Glenda Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers families are awaiting removal in(a) Greater London and (b) the UK; and for how long each such family has been awaiting removal. [173875]

Mr. Browne

Information on the number of unsuccessful asylum seekers awaiting removal—or the length of time for which they have been awaiting removal—is not available, partly because some applicants may leave the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration Service.

Mr. Malins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries(a) are reluctant and (b) refuse to accept the return of failed asylum seekers from the UK. [176289]

Mr. Browne

[holding answer 27 May 2004]: When we return failed asylum seekers we do not distinguish them from any other individual with no right to remain in the UK and we do not inform the receiving country that they have claimed asylum.

The vast majority of countries accept the principle of the return of their own nationals from the UK, once nationality has been established. The Chicago Convention obliges signatory nations to accept back those of their own nationals who do not qualify to remain in other States. 188 countries worldwide are signatories (see following list.).

Despite their obligations under the Chicago Convention, Iran for example is reluctant to accept the enforced return of their nationals. We are currently in discussions with the Iranian government to agree an arrangement which will allow us to enforce returns to Iran.

Contracting States to the Chicago convention

  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • 311W
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Bulgaria
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cape Verde
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Chile
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Congo
  • Cook Islands
  • Costa Rica
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Democratic People's Republic of Korea
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Denmark
  • Djibouti
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Tthiopi
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • 312W
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Lao, People's Democratic Republic
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mali
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia (Federated States of)
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • 313W
  • Nigeria
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Republic of Korea
  • Republic of Moldova
  • Romania
  • Russian Federation
  • Rwanda
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia and Montenegro
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Swaziland
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Syrian Arab Republic
  • Tajikistan
  • Thailand
  • The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
  • Togo
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United Republic of Tanzania
  • United States of America
  • Uruguay
  • 314W
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Mr. Malins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether China is prepared to receive back failed asylum seekers from the UK. [176290]

Mr. Browne

[holding answer 27 May 2004]: China is prepared to accept back failed asylum seekers from the UK in principle. However, the Chinese have very strict conditions for re-documenting their nationals to enable repatriation. This issue is at the forefront of our bilateral relations with the Chinese and the my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister underlined the importance of finding a solution to the problem of undocumented returns during his discussions with the Chinese Premier earlier this month. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese on co-operation on illegal immigration, which will provide a framework to take forward our discussions with the Chinese to improve the system of returning failed asylum seekers as a matter of urgency.