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Asylum Applications
Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum applications made prior to 1 January are outstanding from citizens of (a) Somalia, (b) Afghanistan, (c) Iraq and (d) Kosovo; and if he will make a statement; [95688]
- (2) how many asylum applications were processed in the months of (i) July, (ii) August and (iii) September from citizens of (a) Somalia, (b) Afghanistan, (c) Iraq and (d) Kosovo; and how many were (1) agreed and (2) refused. [95689]
Mrs. Roche:
The available information for July to September is given in the table and relates to the general breakdown of decisions that have been taken. A breakdown of asylum decisions and the number of cases awaiting an initial decision by nationality is not currently available.
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| July | August | September | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decisions | 2,940 | 3,075 | 2,680 | 8,695 |
| Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum | 610 | 245 | 245 | 1,100 |
| Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain | 105 | 200 | 205 | 510 |
| Total refusals | 865 | 990 | 915 | 2,770 |
| Backlog clearance exercise(2) | ||||
| Granted under the backlog criteria | 1,275 | 1,380 | 910 | 3,565 |
| Refused under the backlog criteria | 85 | 265 | 405 | 750 |
(1) Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5
(2) Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 asylum backlog
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Mr. Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the total number of outstanding asylum applications and (b) the targets of his Department for clearing the current backlog. [95686]
Mrs. Roche: The number of asylum applications outstanding at the end of September was 90,685. We are committed to meeting the targets set out in the White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer--A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum" of deciding asylum applications within an average of two months, by April 2001. To do this we must eliminate the backlog. We are developing new procedures to speed up the consideration of both new cases and those in the current backlog. We are also recruiting around 250 new staff to deal purely with asylum applications, and training more of our existing staff in asylum skills.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the backlog of asylum claims which will be awaiting initial decision at 31 December. [95443]
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Mrs. Roche:
The current figure for the backlog of asylum claims which were awaiting an initial decision at 30 September 1999 was 90,685. The backlog at 31 December will depend on a number of factors including the levels of new asylum applications and asylum initial decisions over the next three months.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications were awaiting initial determination at the end of each of the last five years for which figures are available. [95442]
Mrs. Roche:
The available information covering the period 1994 to 1998 is given in the table.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 55,255 |
| 1995 | 69,650 |
| 1996 | 57,405 |
| 1997 | 51,795 |
| 1998 | 64,770 |
(3) Figures rounded to the nearest five
(4) Does not include persons who may leave the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration and Nationality Directorate
(5) Asylum removals and voluntary departures excludes dependants
(6) 1998 figures are provisional
Note:
All figures are rounded to 10
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28 Oct 1999 : Column: 961
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of persons whose asylum applications are awaiting initial determination with whom the authorities have lost contact. [95441]
Mrs. Roche:
Figures are not collected centrally on this basis.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum have been made in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [95440]
Mrs. Roche:
The available information covering the period October 1998 to September 1999 is given in the table. Information on the number of asylum applications received in 1999 can be found on the Home Office internet site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.htm.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | |
| October | 5,010 |
| November | 4,620 |
| December | 4,770 |
| 1999 | |
| January | 4,700 |
| February | 4,185 |
| March | 5,060 |
| April | 4,905 |
| May | 5,370 |
| June | 6,130 |
| July | 6,440 |
| August | 7,120 |
| September | 7,355 |
(7) Figures rounded to the nearest 5
Immigration and Asylum Appeals
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he proposes to take to re-establish contact with (a) failed appellants under immigration law and (b) asylum seekers who are awaiting an initial determination; [95445]
- (2) what mechanisms exist whereby (a) his Department and (b) other authorities maintain contact with (i) failed appellants under immigration law and (ii) asylum seekers who are waiting an initial determination. [95478]
Mrs. Roche:
The onus is on applicants and their representatives to keep the Home Office informed of their whereabouts. In general, asylum seekers bring themselves
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to the notice of the Home Office and it is in their interest to maintain contact so as to be aware of the outcome of their applications. Asylum seekers will usually be issued with a Standard Acknowledgement Letter (SAL) which demonstrates their immigration status for the purpose of claiming benefits. If an asylum applicant is claiming benefits, the Benefits Agency would be able to provide information about their whereabouts. Immigration offenders who seek asylum will often be required to report to the police or the Immigration Service.
Mr. Malins:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases he granted exceptional leave to remain within the past 12 months for which figures are available. [95447]
Mrs. Roche:
Data for the period from September 1998 to August 1999 are given in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Asylum applicants | |
| Refused asylum but granted exceptional leave to remain | 2,570 |
| Granted exceptional leave to remain(9) under backlog criteria | 7,030 |
| Non-asylum applicants | |
| Granted exceptional leave to remain in view of the internal situation in country of origin | 1,670 |
| Other grants of exceptional leave to remain | 570 |
(8) Excluding dependants
(9) Includes persons granted exceptional indefinite leave to remain or exceptional limited leave to remain under measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 backlog, as announced in the White Paper 'Fairer, Faster and Firmer--A Modern Approach to Immigration and Asylum' published in July 1998
Overseas Electors
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, by parliamentary constituency, the number of overseas electors included in the 1998-99 electoral register, together with totals for each constituent part of the United Kingdom. [95437]
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
The number of overseas electors included in the 1998 register was 17,315 and in the 1999 register 13,677. A table showing a breakdown by parliamentary constituencies and constituent parts of the United Kingdom has been placed in the Library.
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