Written question asked by Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative) on Friday, 28 October 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 1 November 2005. It was answered by Andy Burnham (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 November 2005 on behalf of the Home Office.

Asylum/Immigration

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Somalian asylum seekers tried to enter the UK in each year from 1997; how many have been allowed to stay; and how many have been deported.

Answer: Information is not available on how many Somalis try to enter the UK each year who would, if successful, subsequently apply for asylum, and such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Applications for asylum in the UK can only be made from within the UK.Information on the number of asylum applications made by Somali nationals, initial decisions and appeals outcomes, and asylum removals is published quarterly and annually in the regular asylum statistics, copies of which are available from the Library and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Secondary information