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22 Jun 2004 : Column 1373W—continued
Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when officials at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will resolve the immigration status of a constituent of the hon. Member for Vauxhall, reference number O143164. [178743]
Mr. Browne: A decision has now been made to regularise my hon. Friend's constituent's stay in the United Kingdom. Officials will write to him shortly to advise him of his immigration status.
Immigration Staff (Training)
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on initial training for immigration officers and caseworkers. [177933]
Mr. Browne: Initial training for newly recruited Immigration Officers (IDs) consists of six weeks classroom based training for those serving at Ports of Entry or eight weeks for those serving on enforcement duties, which is focused on the role of the IO and covers the Immigration Act and its implementation. Training also includes asylum, human rights, race relations and equal opportunity issues. This is then followed by a period of up to four weeks operational work supervised by a more experienced IO acting as a mentor.
Initial training for asylum caseworkers consists of an 11 day training course which covers all aspects of asylum casework and how to deal with human rights
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allegations raised by asylum seekers. Immediately following this training, caseworkers move directly to a Mentoring Unit where they remain for at least another 11 days to develop their casework skills through the consideration of "dummy" and subsequently "live" cases.
After formal training and mentoring, less experienced IOs and caseworkers will continue to receive support (for example from more experienced colleagues and senior officers).
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what refresher training is in place for experienced immigration caseworkers. [177934]
Mr. Browne: All asylum caseworkers receive refresher training to consolidate their interviewing skills after they have been in post for three months. There is also a rolling programme of workshops run by the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, the aim of which is to equip caseworkers better to interview asylum applicants who have been victims of torture.
Other additional training is provided as and when required, such as in respect of changes in legislation or procedures or in response to weaknesses identified by quality assurance work. For example, all asylum caseworkers have recently been invited to attend a refresher course to better equip them to deal with human rights allegations raised alongside asylum claims.
In addition, representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also undertake presentations to provide information about their work and to discuss the procedures and criteria for determining refugee status with asylum caseworkers.
Induction Centres
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the programme for introducing a network of induction centres. [177928]
Mr. Browne: The Government are continuing with plans to establish a network of induction centres as set out in the White Paper "Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain" (CM 5387) which was published on 7 February 2002. The aim is to have a network of induction centres established by the end of 2004. The preferred method of procurement is working in partnership with local authorities.
Two induction centres are already operating successfully. The Dover Induction Centre opened in January 2002. The Yorkshire and Humberside Induction Centre opened in June 2003. The Home Office has also signed a contract, for induction processes and accommodation for 200–300 asylum seekers, in the Greater Manchester area. This service will be operational in the summer.
The network of induction centres will include a broader range of models than originally defined in the White Paper. This allows local authorities to provide induction arrangements that are sensitive to local circumstances. In Greater Manchester the accommodation and resources that will be used for induction are spread across a wide
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geographical area and wherever possible existing accommodation used to house asylum seekers will be utilised. There will be no overall increase in asylum seekers staying in the region.
Leave to Remain
Mr. Grieve:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have received
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extensions of leave to remain as a spouse or fiancée for a limited period prior to settlement in each year since 1979. [177028]
Mr. Browne [holding answer 8 June 2004]: The latest available data on the number of people that have received extensions of leave to remain as a spouse or fiancée for a limited period prior to settlement can be found in the following table.
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse(27) | 18,270 | 16,820 | 17,000 | 17,560 | 17,060 | 15,870 | 15,610 | 16,280 | 26,410 | 23,060 | 18,500 |
| Fiancé(e) | 85 | 85 | 145 | 110 | 110 | 50 | 30 | 35 | 70 | 65 | 75 |
(26)Excluding dependants of principal applicants, asylum related decisions, the outcome of appeals and withdrawn applications.
(27) Data from 1997 includes unmarried partners.
Prior to 1992 this information was not routinely published.
Historical data on immigration control can be found in the Command Papers "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom", copies of which are available from the Library of the House.
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been granted extended leave to remain as a work permit holder or trainee in each year since 1979, broken down by nationality. [177102]
Mr. Browne [holding answer 8 June 2004]: Information on the number of people granted extended leave to remain as a work permit holder or trainee has been provided back to 1992 and is provided in the table. Earlier data have not been published and would incur disproportionate cost to extract.
Detailed statistics on immigration control are published in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2002" (cm 6053), also available on the Library, the Stationary Office and via the Home Office web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/commandpubs1.html
Memorandum of Understanding (Somalia)
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation he has had with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees regarding the forced return of failed asylum seekers to Somalia. [178088]
Mr. Browne: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is aware we are effecting the enforced return of failed asylum seekers to Somalia and we are in contact with the UNHCR on issues relating to this returns programme. In January 2004 UNHCR published a position paper on the return of failed asylum seekers to Somalia and this is taken into account by caseworkers considering the protection needs of individual Somali asylum seekers. As with applications from all nationalities, each asylum (and human rights) claim made by someone from Somalia is considered by the Home Office on its individual merits, in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Individual asylum seekers found by both the Home Office and the Independent Appellate Authority, not to be at risk of persecution and not in need of humanitarian protection are considered for removal on a case by case basis. The Home Office will not return vulnerable groups and will only enforce the return of those Somalis it is satisfied are not in need of protection.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what route, and with which airlines, failed asylum seekers are returned to Somalia; and who controls the airstrip used in Somalia. [178089]
Mr. Browne: Failed asylum seekers are returned to Mogadishu via Dubai on scheduled commercial flights. They travel to Dubai on Emirates Airlines and travel on to Mogadishu on Daallo or African Express Airlines. Mogadishu International Airport is currently closed so Daallo and African Express fly into a privately run airport near Mogadishu.
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Somali nationals are in detention awaiting removal to Somalia. [178090]
Mr. Browne: The latest available information shows that at 27 March 2004 30 Somali nationals were detained under Immigration Act Powers. Information on the number of these detainees who were awaiting removal from the UK is not available except by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
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