§ Jeremy CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were returned to(a) Somaliland and (b) Somalia in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [179512]
§ Mr. BrowneAlthough Somaliland declared its independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991, it is not recognised internationally and asylum applicants received from those originating from that part of Somalia are not recorded separately.
Information on the total number of people who are removed from the United Kingdom is not available by nationality except by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.
Estimates of the number of Somali nationals who had sought asylum at some stage and were removed from the UK between 1999 and 2003 are shown in the table. These figures include persons departing "voluntarily' after the initiation of enforcement action against them, and persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Returns Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration.
Removals and voluntary departures1,2 of asylum applicants, excluding dependants, nationals of Somalia, 1999 to 2003– United Kingdom Number of persons 1999 n/a 2000 n/a 2001 25 20023 50 20033 50 n/a—not available 1 All data have been rounded to the nearest 5. 2 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. Excludes dependants of asylum seekers. 3 Provisional data.
§ Mr. GerrardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a memorandum of understanding, similar to that signed with the administration in Somaliland, has been signed with any authority in Somalia. [178091]
§ Mr. BrowneThe UK has not signed a memorandum of understanding on the return of failed asylum seekers with any authority in Somalia.