§ Mr. PopeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers there are in(a) the constituency of Hyndburn and (b) the County of Lancashire. [156725]
§ Beverley HughesThe information is not available in the form requested.
Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives. Asylum seekers currently in the United Kingdom are either in receipt of support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) or from local authorities, or are supporting themselves. Statistics regarding the location of asylum seekers not in receipt of NASS support are unavailable.
The table gives data on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in the constituency of Hyndburn, as at the end of December 2003 (including dependants):
December 2003 In NASS accommodation 5 In receipt of subsistence only support from NASS 5 Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest five. The table gives data on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in the County of Lancashire, as at the end of December 2003 (including dependants):
December 2003 In NASS accommodation 6,345 In receipt of subsistence only support from NASS 745 Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which countries from which more than 1,000 asylum seekers have come to the UK within the last five years the UK(a) has and (b) does not have a readmission agreement; how many nationals from each of those countries remain in the UK; what their status is; and whether readmission agreements allow for the return of undocumented asylum seekers. [156768]
§ Beverley HughesThere are 47 countries from which more than 1,000 applications have been made in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2003. The countries and their numbers are contained in the list below. Of these countries, the United Kingdom has negotiated formal bilateral readmission agreements with Albania and Romania, which are currently being ratified. In addition, negotiations have commenced with Poland and will start shortly with Serbia and Montenegro. The European Commission has been mandated to negotiate Community readmission agreements on behalf of member states with Sri Lanka (negotiations have 913W been concluded and the agreement is being ratified), China, Turkey. Pakistan, Algeria, Albania, Russia and Ukraine. Bilateral and Community readmission agreements set out the process and evidence required for the re-documentation of returning nationals.
In addition, where it is our experience that a lack of documentation presents a barrier to removal to particular countries, the United Kingdom is working with the authorities of those countries to facilitate the process of identification and re-documentation of persons. These countries include Sri Lanka, India, Turkey, Somaliland, the Democratic Republic of Congo and China. Since October 2003 the United Kingdom has had a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding in operation governing returns to Afghanistan and very recently agreed with the Coalition Provisional Authority to effect returns to Iraq.
914W
Applications1.2received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, for nationalities from which the UK has received more than 1,000 asylum applications within the last five years Nationality 1999–2003 Iraq 34,575 Somalia 30,575 Afghanistan 27,945 SAM3 23,835 Sri Lanka 20,870 China 16,135 Iran 15,850 Turkey 15,760 Zimbabwe 14,315 Pakistan 12,950 India 9,480 Democratic Republic of Congo 7,375 Romania 7,300 Sierra Leone 5,935 Algeria 5,755 Albania 5,605 Czech Republic 5,260 Nigeria 4,710 Angola 4,640 Poland 4,570 Eritrea 3,830 Burundi 3,360 Bangladesh 3,280 Jamaica 3,250 Uganda 3,065 Rwanda 3,030 Ethiopia 2,820 Russia 2,715 Sudan 2,670 Vietnam 2,655 Ukraine 2,650 Other Yugoslavia 2,630 Colombia 2,515 Congo 2,430 Nepal 2,235 Cameroon 2,090 Moldova 2,035 Croatia 1,970 Lithuania 1,870 Kenya 1,820 Ecuador 1,770 Nationality not known 1,620 Ivory Coast 1,620 Belarussia 1,500 Liberia 1,425 Macedonia 1,280 Ghana 1,270 Latvia 1,205 1Figures are provisional and rounded to the nearest 5.
2May exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices between January 1999 and March 2000.
3Serbia and Montenegro (SAM) replaced Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) from 5 February 2003, SAM comprises the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Montenegro, and the Province of Kosovo (administered by the UN on an interim basis since 1999).
Information on how many nationals from each of these countries are currently in the United Kingdom is not available. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records. In addition some applicants may leave the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration Service.
§ Mr. ColemanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were refused support under section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 in 2003; and how many who were refused support appealed in the High Court. [156805]
§ Beverley HughesThe information is not available in the form requested.
Data on numbers of asylum seekers refused under Section 55 are as follows. Data is not available on the number of asylum seekers who were refused support under Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 that subsequently appealed in the High Court.
Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 came into force on 8 January 2003, restricting the availability of National Asylum Support Service support to those asylum seekers who make an asylum application as soon as reasonably practicable.
Figures in respect of asylum seekers refused under Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 in 2003 are.
2003 Number of cases refused under Section 55 of the NIA Act 2002 Quarter 1 2,850 Quarter 2 1,830 Quarter 3 2,810 Quarter 4 1,925 Total 9,415
§ Mr. ColemanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of asylum applications were made in-country in each of the last three years. [156806]
§ Beverley HughesThe table shows the proportion of asylum applications made in country for each of the last three years.
915W
Asylum applications1 received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, 2001–03 2001 20022 20033 Total 71,025 84,130 49,370 Port 24,865 26,560 13,810 Port percentage 35 32 28 In country 46,160 57,570 35,560 In country percentage 65 68 72 1Figures (other than percentages) are rounded to the nearest five 2Revised data 3Provisional data Information on the number of asylum applications is published in quarterly web pages and in the annual statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom. Copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the United Kingdom are available from the Library and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration 1.html.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of accommodation contracted for by the National Asylum Support Service was in each year of the dispersal scheme; and if he will estimate the cost in the current year. [157046]
§ Beverley HughesThe information requested is as follows:
£ million 2000–01 115 2001–02 247 2002–03 319 2003–041 Not available 1Payments for 2003–04 are expected to be broadly in line with 2002–03 but are expected to fall thereafter, as the recent fall in new applications for NASS support feeds through.