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Illegal Immigrants
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines exist for the police in respect of the removal of illegal immigrants. [13979]
Mr. Michael:
Home Office Circular 38/1995 Police and Immigration Service Joint Enquiries contains guidance for the chief officer of police. It draws attention
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to the recommendations contained in the Joint Review of Procedures in Immigration Removal Cases, which was completed by senior officers of the Metropolitan Police and the Immigration Service in January 1994, and in which the Association of Chief Police Officers also participated. Additionally the circular gives broad guidance to the police on the conduct of immigration inquiries.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many removals to other countries of illegal immigrants his Department has authorised since 1 May. [14007]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The number of illegal entrants removed from the United Kingdom, including voluntary departures after illegal entry action had been initiated, between 1 May 1997 and 30 September 1997 was 2,015. This does not include persons removed as a result of deportation action or under port refusal procedures.
Mr. Gale:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answers and those of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, of 27 October Official Report, column 572, which articles of the Dublin convention 1991 (a) negate the terms of the Asylum Act 1996 and (b) make it more complex and more difficult to implement the bi-lateral agreement that allows the United Kingdom to return economic migrants to France. [13702]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The Dublin Convention provides criteria for determining which member state should consider an asylum application made in the European Union and procedures for transferring applicants between member states. Where another member state accepts that it is responsible for an application made in the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State can refuse and remove the applicant to that State, making use, where appropriate, of the provisions of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 concerning safe third country asylum cases. As a matter of international law, we are unable to remove asylum seekers to European Union member states on safe third country grounds other than in accordance with the Dublin Convention.
The readmission agreement we have with France explicitly provides for its provisions to be superseded by the Dublin Convention in so far as they apply to asylum seekers. It remains possible to return persons to France under the readmission agreement where they are not asylum seekers and do not meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to improve the out-of-hours service of the Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable and Assistant Chief Constable of Leicestershire. [13929]
Mr. Michael:
The out-of-hours service of the Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable and Assistant Chief Constable of Leicestershire is an operational matter for the police.
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Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police and Ministry of Defence police costs associated with the recent contingency and operational procurement exhibition held at Farnborough Aerospace indicating if these costs were recovered from the exhibition organiser. [14403]
Mr. Michael:
I understand from the Chief Constable of Hampshire that the cost of policing around the Farnborough Aerodrome was £53,550. As Hampshire Constabulary policing commitment lay outside of the aerodrome site no charge was made by them.
The additional Ministry of Defence Police costs incurred by the recent Contingency and Operational Procurement Exhibition are a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence. I have asked him to write to you on those aspects of your Question which relate to his responsibilities.
Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances Her Majesty's immigration service is permitted to waive the requirement to provide staff at all United Kingdom airport terminals. [14251]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
It is not a requirement of the Immigration Act 1971 for immigration officers to be present at an airport terminal building. The Act provides for the Secretary of State to designate control areas for the embarkation and disembarkation of passengers in any port and for the port operator to take all reasonable steps to secure that notified conditions and restrictions which apply to a designated area are observed.
Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the United Kingdom airports at which Her Majesty's immigration staff are employed, together with the number of immigration officers employed at each. [14250]
In the above table there are certain offices which cover both seaports and airports. Immigration officers also attend other airports as necessary.
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Mr. Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to determine the number of Her Majesty's immigration staff employed at each of the United Kingdom's airports. [14249]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The deployment of Immigration Service operational staff at airports is determined by a number of factors. These include the pattern and timing of flight movements, the volume and nature of passenger traffic together with other control demands such as clandestine entry and asylum casework.
Mr. Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of Her Majesty's immigration service costs arising from duties undertaken at United Kingdom airports is charged to airports; and what proportion is borne by public funds. [14248]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The cost of staffing the immigration control at both ports and airports in the United Kingdom, in accordance with the requirements laid down by the Secretary of State, is met entirely from public funds.
The Immigration Service charges for the provision of additional immigration services under section 9(4) of the Immigration Act 1988. The total receipts generated by these services for 1997-98 are expected to make up about 3.5 per cent. of the resources available to the Immigration Service Ports Directorate. I am unable to provide a disaggregation of the proportion of receipts between airports and other locations because to do so would risk breaching commercial confidentiality.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to improve the out-of-hours service of the immigration office at East Midlands airport. [13928]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The immigration office at East Midlands airport is staffed 24 hours a day. The uneven pattern of passenger arrivals means that there are times when only one immigration officer is required on duty. However, when that officer is unable to answer telephone calls immediately because of operational duties away from the office an answerphone service is provided. I do not have any plans to change this arrangement, which generally works well.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many personal callers there were to the public inquiry desk at each branch of the immigration and nationality department on 1 October. [14241]
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Mr. Mike O'Brien:
On 1 October, the number of applicants at the public enquiry offices of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate was:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Belfast | 20 |
| Birmingham | 122 |
| Croydon Public Enquiry Office | 884 |
| Croydon Asylum Screening Unit | 241 |
| Glasgow | 62 |
| Liverpool | 52 |
Police Discipline
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been (a) cautioned, (b) dismissed and (c) charged for inappropriate behaviour while on duty, listing in each case the (i) rule breached and (ii) police force involved.[14438]
Mr. Michael [holding answer 6 November 1997]: The information available, covering the period April 1996 to March 1997, is contained in the table below. Figures relate to disciplinary cases which result in a punishment being awarded--they do not include those in which police officers were charged but found not guilty or the charges not pursued. Information on the rule breached, and whether the offence was committed whilst the officer was on or off duty is not collected centrally.
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