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14 Oct 2008 : Column 1058W—continued

Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers entered the UK in each of the last 11 years; and how many such people were aged (a) under 18 years and (b) 18 years and over. [224556]

14 Oct 2008 : Column 1059W

Mr. Woolas: The following table shows the number of principal asylum applications received in the UK between 1997 and 2007 at a port of entry or at some stage after having entered the country. Figures for 1997 to 2000 have been estimated by applying published percentages for the age categories to the number of total asylum seekers.

Further information on asylum is published annually and quarterly and is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Number of principal asylum applications received in the UK by age group, 1997 to 2007( 1)
	Number of asylum seekers aged under 18 years	Number of asylum seekers aged 18 years and over
1997	1,600	30,900
1998	4,600	41,400
1999	3,600	67,600
2000	6,400	73,900
2001	8,705	62,660
2002	12,435	71,700
2003	7,865	41,545
2004	6,205	27,755
2005	5,165	20,550
2006	4,580	19,030
2007(2)	3,975	19,420
(1) Figures for 1997 to 2000 have been estimated by applying published percentages of the age categories to the total asylum seekers population. As a result, these data have been rounded to the nearest 100. Data for 2001 to 2007 are rounded to the nearest five. (2) Provisional figures.

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Afghani, (b) Belarusian, (c) Burmese, (d) Chinese, (e) Colombian,
14 Oct 2008 : Column 1060W
(f) Cuban, (g) Democratic Republic of Congo, (h) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, (i) Iranian, (j) Iraqi, (k) Israeli, (l) Nepalese, (m) Pakistani, (n) Russian, (o) Saudi Arabian, (p) Syrian, (q) Turkmenistani, (r) Uzbekistani and (s) Vietnamese nationals were refused asylum in the UK in each of the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years; and how many in each category are awaiting a decision on an asylum application. [225298]

Mr. Woolas: The accompanying two tables give the most recently published figures available and show the total number of refusals for (a) Afghani, (b) Belarussian, (c) Burmese, (d) Chinese, (e) Colombian, (f) Cuban, (g) Democratic Republic of Congo, (h) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, (i) Iranian, (j) Iraqi, (k) Israeli, (l) Nepalese, (m) Pakistani, (n) Russian, (o) Saudi Arabian, (p) Syrian, (q) Turkmenistani, (r) Uzbekistani and (s) Vietnamese nationals people, following initial decisions, (i) between July 2007 and June 2008 and (ii) for each of the last five calendar years.

The published figure for asylum applications split by nationality for people awaiting an initial decision is not available as the figures are based on an overall manual count which is not broken down into separate categories.

Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Information on many of the nationalities requested are available in these publications. Annual Statistics for 2007 and quarterly statistics for 2008 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Asylum refusals( 1) on initial decisions i n the United Kingdom, excluding dependants 2003-07
Total refusals
Nationality	Afghanistan	Belarus	Myanmar (Burma)	China	Colombia	Cuba	Dem. Rep. of Congo	Korea (North)	Iran
2003	3,375	160	105	3,690	315	20	1,685	*	2,930
2004	2,225	180	80	2,525	150	20	1,540	45	3,590
2005	1,050	50	35	1,685	65	15	985	10	2,850
2006	1,310	40	30	1,600	45	15	470	10	1,850
2007(2)	1,490	40	40	1,860	30	10	315	25	1,665

Total refusals
Nationality	Iraq	Israel	Nepal	Pakistan	Russia	Saudi Arabia	Syria	Turkmenistan	Uzbekistan	Vietnam
2003	4,580	50	290	2,050	340	0	120	10	20	970
2004	4,615	45	195	1,795	215	*	255	5	25	675
2005	1,676	30	70	1,040	115	0	315	5	15	295
2006	650	15	45	690	85	0	145	5	15	60
2007(2)	1,090	15	25	775	85	0	110	5	20	110
(1) Figures rounded to nearest 5, (*=1 or 2). (2) Provisional figures

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14 Oct 2008 : Column 1062W

Asylum refusals on initial decisions( 1,2) in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants July 2007-June 2008 by month
Total refusals
Nationality	Afghanistan	Belarus	Myanmar (Burma)	China	Colombia	Cuba	Dem. Rep. of Congo	Korea (North)	Iran
2007
July	125	5	10	155	5	0	50	*	120
August	115	0	5	185	5	5	25	*	100
September	90	*	5	185	*	0	20	5	70
October	120	5	*	170	5	*	10	*	115
November	115	*	5	115	*	0	15	5	100
December	70	*	*	95	0	0	10	5	65
2008
January	105	*	*	135	*	*	15	5	110
February	105	5	5	70	*	0	15	10	100
March	100	0	5	45	*	0	15	5	75
April	115	0	5	75	0	*	15	10	105
May	85	0	5	70	*	0	15	10	100
June	100	*	5	85	*	0	15	10	125

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