---

Illegal Immigrants

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many operations against people alleged to be in the United Kingdom illegally involving both immigration officers and police took place during 1994 and 1995 to the latest convenient date; for each operation by date and by name how many (a) immigration officers and (b) police officers were involved; how many people were arrested and found to be (i) legally in the United Kingdom, (ii) in breach of immigration conditions, (iii) alleged illegal entrants and (iv) British citizens; how many requested and were granted legal advice before interview; and how many were detained for (1) one day or less, (2) between a day and a week and (3) over a week; and how many subsequently left the United Kingdom. [7427]

Mr. Kirkhope: The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted for facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants in each year since 1985. [8025]

Mr. Kirkhope: The information is given in the table.

Number of persons prosecuted for the offence of "knowingly facilitating the entry of an illegal entrant"(82), (83) 1985-1994England and Wales

Year	Prosecutions
1985	21
1986	25
1987	41
1988	41
1989	28
1990	46
1991	73
1992	63
1993	33
1994	124

(82) Offence under Section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971.

(83) Principal immigration offence.

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 197

British Citizenship Applications

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for registration as British citizens of children born in the United Kingdom on or after 1 January 1983 have been (a) received, (b) granted and (c) refused since 1 January 1993. [7660]

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 198

Mr. Kirkhope: A total of 4,817 children born in the United Kingdom on or after 1 January 1983 have been registered as British citizens since 1 January 1993. The number of such applications received and refused is not available.

Special Quota Vouchers

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were waiting for special quota vouchers in (a) India, (b) east Africa and (c) the rest of the world in (i) June 1994, (ii) December 1994 and (iii) June 1995; when those issued with vouchers on those dates had applied; how many vouchers were issued in (a) India, (b) east Africa and (c) the rest of the world in (1) 1994 and (2) the first half of 1995; when those applying can now expect to receive vouchers; and how many applicants there were for vouchers in (a) India (b) east Africa and (c) the rest of the world in (1) 1994 and (2) the first half of 1995. [7421]

Mr. Kirkhope: The information which is currently available is given in the tables.

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 197

Persons applying for a special voucher for entry to the United Kingdom, 1994 and Q1-Q2 1995Persons

	Applications newly received(84)			Vouchers issued			Applications awaiting a decision at the end of
	1994	Q1 1995	Q2 1995	1994	Q1 1995	Q2 1995	Q2 1994	Q4 1994	Q2 1995
India	210	100	60	170	50	50	60	60	90
Kenya	150	40	50	150	30	20	90	90	120
Tanzania	10	(85)--	(85)--	10	(85)--	(86)--	60	60	40
Malawi	(85)--	(86)--	(86)--	(85)--	(86)--	(85)--	(86)--	(85)--	(85)--
Zambia	(85)--	(86)--	(85)--	(85)--	(85)--	(86)--	(85)--	(85)--	(85)--
Rest of the world	10	(86)--	(85)--	10	(85)--	(85)--	(86)--	(85)--	(85)--
Total	400	140	120	350	80	80	210	210	250

(84) Includes applications subsequently withdrawn or lapsed.

(85) Five or fewer.

(86) Nil.

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 197

Waiting times for persons applying for a special voucher, Q2-Q4 1994 and Q2 1995Months

	Waiting times to main interview for persons at end of		Persons applying at end of
	Q2 1994	Q4 1994	Q2 1995
India	(87)--	(87)--	(87)--
Kenya	0.1	0.5	1
Tanzania	1.5	1.5	1.5
Malawi	0.25	0.25	0.25
Zambia	(87)--	(87)--	(87)--
Rest of the world	(87)--	(87)--	(87)--

(87) Nil.

Immigration (Temporary Admission)

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the (a) passengers in total and (b) persons treated as illegal entrants who were granted temporary admission or release in 1994 and 1995 to the latest date for which information is available subsequently absconded; how many of these were (1) asylum seekers and (2) applying for leave on some other basis; and how many (i) later reported voluntarily to the immigration authorities and (ii) were rearrested. [7422]

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 198

Mr. Kirkhope: The available information relates to the number of persons who absconded, either from detention or by failing to respond to the terms of temporary admission or release, and is given in the table. The other information requested is not available.

Absconders

Category of person	1994	1995(88)
Passengers(89)	1,240	1,374
Illegal entrants:
Asylum seekers	260	132
Others	224	89
Total	484	221

(88) January to September.

(89) A breakdown between asylum seekers and other passengers is not available.

Immigration Applications

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding immigration applications there are at Lunar house from (a) students, (b) family members in the United Kingdom applying for variation of stay, (c) settlement entry clearance applications referred from overseas posts and (d) asylum seekers; and

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 199

what are the average times applicants in each category must wait before a decision. [7425]

Mr. Kirkhope: The available information is that at the end of November 1995 there were in total about 68,500 asylum applications and some 20,500 other cases in the general immigration caseworking groups, including referred entry clearance applications, the majority of which were under consideration or the subject of further inquiries. The estimated average length of time between the receipt of an application and the decision for cases decided in the general caseworking groups in the third quarter of 1995, was about eight weeks for students and about 12 weeks for all non-asylum applications. Information on average waiting times for family members in the United Kingdom for variation of leave and settlement entry clearance applications referred from overseas posts is not available.

For the average waiting times for asylum applications, I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 22 November 1995, Official Report, column 219.

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men, (b) women and (c) children were waiting in each queue at each post in the Indian subcontinent on (i) 1 January 1995, (ii) 30 June 1995 and (iii) the latest convenient date. [7420]

Mr. Kirkhope: Information on waiting times to first interview for applicants in the settlement queues at posts in the Indian sub-continent is contained in table 2.5 of the

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 200

Home Office Statistical Bulletin issue 21/95 "Control of Immigration: Statistics UK First Half 1995" published on 19 October 1995, a copy of which is in the Library.

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance from (a) wives, (b) husbands, (c) fiances and (d) fiancees made at British posts in (i) New Delhi, (ii) Bombay, (iii) Calcutta, (iv) Madras, (v) Dhaka, (vi) Islamabad, (vii) Karachi, (viii) Colombo, (ix) Accra, (x) Lagos, (xi) Manila, (xii) Bangkok, (xiii) Washington and (xiv) Ottawa for each quarter since January 1994, and in total, were (1) received, (2) granted and (3) refused; how many refusals at each post were (A) wholly and (B) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the primary purpose of the marriage was not immigration; how many refusals at each post were (x) wholly and (y) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the couple could support and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds; and what was the refusal rate at each post and what percentage of those refusals were (X) wholly and (Y) partly on primary purpose grounds. [7686]

Mr. Kirkhope: Information for the Indian subcontinent for each quarter of 1994 and the first two quarters of 1995 is given in the tables. Where numbers are small, figures for individual posts have been combined. Information on reasons for refusals is not compiled for periods shorter than 12 months. Corresponding information for Colombo, Accra, Lagos, Manila, Bangkok, Washington and Ottawa is not available centrally.

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 199

Table 1: Spouses and fiance(e)s in the Indian sub-continent applying for entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom, 1994 and first two quarters 1995Number of persons and percentage

	1994					1995
	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Year	Q1	Q2
Husbands
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received(90)	90	80	50	50	280	80	70
Applications granted(91)	60	40	40	40	180	60	50
Applications refused initially	50	40	40	40	160	40	30
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	45	n/a	n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received(90)	100	40	70	60	310	90	80
Applications granted(91)	70	70	60	70	260	70	60
Applications refused initially	50	30	50	50	180	40	20
Refusal (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	33	n/a	n/a
Dhaka
Applications received(90)	270	300	370	470	1,400	300	320
Applications granted(91)	230	180	220	210	840	220	170
Applications refused initially	130	50	160	120	460	200	260
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	33	n/a	n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received(90)	750	670	670	630	2,720	790	760
Applications granted(91)	440	420	420	440	1,720	420	480
Applications refused initially	430	440	430	400	1,690	530	460
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	42	n/a	n/a
Wives
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received(90)	320	260	200	170	940	320	280
Applications granted(91)	220	190	210	130	760	190	210
Applications refused initially	60	70	60	60	260	80	60
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	23	n/a	n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received(90)	330	260	220	210	1,020	300	340
Applications granted(91)	240	210	280	210	950	220	150
Applications refused initially	50	40	40	30	160	50	30
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	12	n/a	n/a
Dhaka
Applications received(90)	330	330	390	370	1,420	310	410
Applications granted(91)	300	280	320	280	1,180	220	240
Applications refused initially	40	20	60	60	190	80	100
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	13	n/a	n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received(90)	910	790	770	740	3,210	980	840
Applications granted(91)	600	600	540	550	2,290	580	710
Applications refused initially	160	180	180	180	710	240	210
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	19	n/a	n/a
Male fiances
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received(90)	30	20	10	10	70	20	20
Applications granted(91)	10	10	10	10	40	10	10
Applications refused initially	40	10	20	20	80	(93)--	(93)--
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	66	n/a	n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received(90)	40	20	10	20	80	20	30
Applications granted(91)	20	10	20	10	50	10	10
Applications refused initially	20	10	20	20	70	10	20
Refusal (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	45	n/a	n/a
Dhaka
Applications received(90)	10	(91)--	(93)--	(93)--	10	(93)--	(93)--
Applications granted(91)	(93)--	(93)--	(93)--	--	(93)--	--	--
Applications refused initially	(93)--	--	(93)--	--	(93)--	--	(93)--
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	50	n/a	n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received(90)	30	30	30	30	120	20	20
Applications granted(91)	20	10	10	10	40	10	10
Applications refused initially	20	30	20	10	80	20	20
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	62	n/a	n/a
Female fiancees
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received(90)	40	30	40	30	140	40	40
Applications granted(91)	30	10	10	30	80	10	10
Applications refused initially	20	10	10	10	60	20	(93)--
Refusal rate (percentage)(94)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	41	n/a	n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received(90)	40	20	20	20	110	30	40
Applications granted(91)	20	20	30	30	100	10	10
Applications refused initially	10	10	10	(93)--	30	10	(93)--
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	20	n/a	n/a
Dhaka
Applications received(90)	(93)--	(93)--	(93)--	10	20	(93)--	--
Applications granted(91)	(93)--	(93)--	(93)--	(93)--	10	(93)--	(93)--
Applications refused initially	(93)--	--	(93)--	(93)--	(93)--	(93)--	(93)--
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	27	n/a	n/a
Isamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received(90)	30	40	20	40	140	40	20
Applications granted(91)	20	30	30	30	110	30	20
Applications refused initially	20	10	20	10	60	10	10
Refusal rate (percentage)(92)	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	32	n/a	n/a

(90) Including applications subsequently withdrawn or lapsed.

(91) Granted initially or on appeal.

(92) Applications refused initially, minus applications granted on appeal, as a percentage of applications decided.

(93) Five or fewer.

-- = nil.

n/a = not applicable.

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 201

Table 2: Spouses and fiance(e)s in the Indian sub-continent refused entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom, quarterly 1994 and first half 1995Number of persons

	Number refused because couple could not accommodate/maintain themselves without recourse to public funds
	Quarter 1, 1994		Quarter 2, 1994		Quarter 3, 1994		Quarter 4, 1994		Quarter 1, 1995		Quarter 2, 1995
	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Husbands	--	10	2	6	1	7	2	8	3	8	4	3
Wives	1	13	--	16	4	12	2	16	3	21	1	2
Male fiances	--	4	--	1	--	3	1	4	--	--	--	--
Female fiancees	--	2	--	4	--	--	3	2	2	3	--	--
Bombay (including Madras)
Husbands	--	6	--	3	1	12	--	14	--	7	1	--
Wives	2	4	5	5	6	8	8	3	6	8	4	2
Male fiances	--	--	--	2	--	2	--	2	--	2	--	1
Female fiancees	--	--	--	--	--	1	1	1	--	4	--	--
Dhaka
Husbands	48	22	24	2	77	21	59	21	109	48	172	53
Wives	32	2	8	4	37	--	48	5	62	3	76	1
Male fiances	1	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	1	--
Female fiancees	--	--	--	--	--	1	1	--	--	1	1	--
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Husbands	74	187	71	245	99	196	103	187	123	234	112	207
Wives	94	25	94	24	101	34	106	29	137	30	103	53
Male fiances	5	9	3	17	5	11	2	6	2	4	2	8
Female fiancees	3	3	4	3	6	3	8	1	3	--	1	5
Total Indian sub-continent
Husbands	122	225	97	256	178	236	164	230	235	297	289	263
Wives	129	44	107	49	148	54	164	53	208	62	184	58
Male fiances	6	13	3	20	5	16	3	12	2	6	3	9
Female fiancees	3	5	4	7	6	5	13	4	5	8	2	5

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 203

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 203

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 204

Table 3: Spouses and fiance(e)s in the Indian sub-continent refused entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom, quarterly 1994 and first half 1995Number of persons

	Number refused because primary purpose of marriage was to obtain admission to the United Kingdom
	Quarter 1, 1994		Quarter 2, 1994		Quarter 3, 1994		Quarter 4, 1994		Quarter 1, 1995		Quarter 2, 1995
	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Husbands	27	10	24	6	25	7	22	8	22	8	5	3
Wives	40	13	46	16	41	13	31	16	42	21	20	2
Male fiances	23	4	5	1	11	4	10	5	5	--	--	1
Female fiancees	15	3	6	4	7	2	9	3	12	3	--	--
Bombay (including Madras)
Husbands	28	6	15	3	21	12	21	14	13	7	7	--
Wives	22	4	19	5	17	8	14	3	13	8	9	2
Male fiances	4	--	6	2	12	2	4	2	2	2	5	1
Female fiancees	1	--	4	--	5	1	2	1	1	4	1	--
Dhaka
Husbands	43	21	18	2	47	21	37	20	34	47	29	52
Wives	--	--	--	2	--	--	--	1	--	--	--	1
Male fiances	1	--	--	--	1	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
Female fiancees	1	--	--	--	--	1	1	--	--	--	--	--
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Husbands	131	187	105	244	106	195	84	187	127	240	87	206
Wives	7	19	12	21	11	32	11	29	15	30	18	53
Male fiances	1	9	5	17	4	11	4	6	5	4	8	5
Female fiancees	3	3	1	3	2	3	1	1	3	--	--	4
Total Indian sub-continent
Husbands	229	224	162	255	199	235	164	229	196	302	128	261
Wives	69	36	77	44	69	53	56	49	70	59	47	58
Male fiances	29	13	16	20	28	17	18	13	12	6	13	7
Female fiancees	20	6	11	7	14	7	13	5	16	7	1	4

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 203

Table 4: Spouses and fiance(e)s in the Indian sub-continent refused entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom, quarterly 1994 and first half 1995Percentages

	Primary purpose refusals as a percentage of all refusals
	Quarter 1, 1994		Quarter 2, 1994		Quarter 3, 1994		Quarter 4, 1994		Quarter 1, 1995		Quarter 2, 1995
	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons	Solely for these reasons	Partly for these reasons
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Husbands	56	21	65	16	64	18	63	23	59	22	19	12
Wives	63	21	64	22	63	20	56	29	55	28	36	4
Male fiances	66	11	(94)56	(94)11	65	24	50	25	(94)100	--	--	(94)50
Female fiancees	71	14	(94)55	(94)36	(94)78	(94)22	60	20	71	18	--	--
Bombay (including Madras)
Husbands	58	13	50	10	40	23	40	27	30	16	35	--
Wives	48	9	54	14	41	20	42	9	28	17	31	7
Male fiances	25	--	(94)50	(94)17	55	9	20	10	(94)18	(94)18	29	6
Female fiancees	(94)14	--	(94)50	--	(94)50	(94)10	(94)40	(94)20	(94)13	(94)50	(94)25	--
Dhaka
Husbands	32	16	38	4	29	13	31	17	17	23	11	20
Wives	--	--	--	9	--	--	--	2	--	--	--	1
Male fiances	(94)50	--	--	--	(94)100	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
Female fiancees	(94)50	--	--	--	--	(94)100	--	--	--	--	--	--
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Husbands	30	43	24	56	25	46	21	47	24	45	19	44
Wives	4	12	7	12	6	18	6	16	6	13	9	25
Male fiances	5	47	19	63	17	46	(94)31	(94)46	29	24	42	26
Female fiancees	20	20	(94)9	(94)27	13	19	(94)7	(94)7	(94)43	--	--	(94)44
Total Indian sub-continent
Husbands	35	34	29	46	29	35	27	38	24	37	17	34
Wives	22	11	25	14	20	15	17	15	16	13	12	15
Male fiances	40	18	33	42	43	23	34	25	36	18	33	18
Female fiancees	44	13	37	23	39	19	38	15	48	21	6	24

(94) Percentages based on fewer than 15 applications refused.

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 205

9 Jan 1996 : Column: 205

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for leave to remain for an indefinite period on the grounds of marriage to a British or settled spouse from (a) men and (b) women were (i) granted and (ii) refused in 1994 and 1995 to the latest convenient date; of those refusals, how many were refused because the Home Office was not satisfied that (1) the couple intended to stay together permanently as husband and wife, (2) adequate maintenance was available, (3) adequate accommodation was available and (4) how many were refused for other reasons; and of those refused for reason (1), in how many cases domestic violence was alleged. [7654]

Mr. Kirkhope: The available information is given in the table. Allegations of domestic violence are not separately recorded.

Grants and refusals of applications for indefinite leave to remain on the grounds of marriage 1994 and 1995 (January-June)

	Men		Women
	1994	1995	1994	1995
Grants	11,670	6,090	14,920	8,440
Refusals
Intention to live together	340	240	360	220
Maintenance, accommodation, other reasons	20	10	10	10

---