§ Mr. BrazierTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were(a) detected attempting to enter the UK clandestinely and (b) detected later in the country in each of the past five years. [147063]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 20 January 2004]: The number of people against whom illegal entry action was initiated in each of the last five years for which information is available is shown in the table.
1465W
Persons against whom illegal entry action was initiated 1998 to 2002 Number of persons 1998 16,500 1999 21,165 2000 47,325 2001 69,875 20021 48,050 1 Provisional figures Illegal entry action is initiated against those people who are detected entering the country clandestinely or by means of deception, either verbal or documentary.
Though the figures include those people who were identified as having entered the country clandestinely they are not separately identifiable, as such this information would only be available by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.
The figures show a high level of activity in 2001 compared to the preceding and following years. This was caused by the large increase in asylum seekers in 2001.
Moreover, although numbers of people subject to illegal entry action fell by 31 per cent. in 2002 compared to 2001, the number of removals increased by 33 per cent. in the same period.
This information and other statistics on the immigration and asylum system are published annually in the Command publication "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom" a copy of which is in the House Library and can be found on the Home Office website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
§ Mr. LilleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were detected trying to enter the UK illegally in 2002; how many of them subsequently claimed asylum; how many were returned before claiming asylum; and how many were removed after their asylum claim was rejected. [152862]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 4 February 2004]: Illegal entry action was initiated against 48,050 people in 2002. Illegal entry action is initiated against those people who are detected entering, or having entered the country clandestinely or by means of deception, either verbal or documentary.
Information on the number of these persons who subsequently claimed asylum, is not available and would be so by the examination of individual case-files only at disproportionate cost. Measures in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc.) Bill will make it more difficult for those who only applied for asylum after being notified of an immigration decision to have a credible claim..
This information and other statistics on the immigration and asylum system are published annually in the Command publication "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.