§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has(a) to institute a voluntary assisted return programme for refugees from Iraq and (b) to begin forcibly returning individuals to Iraq who have been refused refugee status and other forms of protection in the UK. [173215]
§ Mr. BrowneSince July last year the Home Office has been facilitating, without incident, the return of small numbers of Iraqi citizens who want to return home through the International Organisation for Migration. Individuals returning under this programme receive independent advice and practical assistance with travel arrangements.
We have also reached agreement with the Coalition Provisional Authority to begin enforced returns to Iraq. We are working to finalise the practicalities of the enforced returns programme, which we will implement as soon as the necessary arrangements are in place.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the status is of Iraqi individuals who were refused refugee status and other forms of protection in the UK in 2003. [173216]
§ Mr. BrowneThe current status of Iraqi asylum seekers, who were refused refugee status and other forms of protection in the UK in 2003, will depend on whether they have appealed against this decision, and if so what the outcome of the appeal was. If all appeal rights have been exhausted and no leave of any kind has been granted, these individuals will have no basis on which to remain in the United Kingdom and will be expected to return to Iraq.
322W
Prisons holding life sentence prisoners, 31 March 2004 Operational capacity Lifer population Total population Percentage of population serving life sentences Acklington 881 25 869 2.9 Albany 526 111 521 21.3 Altcourse 1,010 7 988 0.7 Ashwell 545 52 533 9.8 Askham Grange 151 10 134 7.5 Aylesbury 361 46 363 12.7 Bedford 464 7 481 1.5 Belmarsh 921 47 921 5.1 Birmingham 1,400 15 1,406 1.1 Blakenhurst 880 4 870 0.5 Blantyre House 122 27 117 23.1 Blundeston 464 29 462 6.3 Bristol 584 65 581 11.2 Brixton 798 9 818 1.1 Buckley Hall 330 8 322 2.5 Bullingdon 963 6 943 0.6 Bullwood Hall 184 37 152 24.3 Cardiff 669 65 675 9.6 Castington 346 8 336 2.4 Channings Wood 667 51 664 7.7 Chelmsford 575 9 593 1.5 Coldingley 390 37 387 9.6 Cookham Wood 140 15 137 10.9 Dartmoor 625 18 618 2.9 Doncaster 1,120 12 1,118 1.1 We are currently facilitating the return of those who wish to go home through the International Organisation for Migration. We have also reached an agreement with the Coalition Provisional Authority to begin enforced returns to Iraq, and will commence these as soon as the necessary arrangements are in place.