Written question asked by John Bercow (Conservative) on Tuesday, 6 December 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 8 December 2005. It was answered by Tony McNulty (Labour) on Monday, 9 January 2006 on behalf of the Home Office.

Asylum/Immigration

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) criteria are used and (b) process is followed in selecting failed asylum seekers to be returned to Iraq; and what level of access to legal advice to challenge the decision is provided for those being returned.

Answer: Failed asylum seekers returning to Iraq mostly self select—over 1,000 people have returned over the last three years. During that period we have returned 15 people forcibly—all single males from one of the three northern governates, who had had their asylum claims rejected and who had exhausted the appeals process. As with all failed asylum seekers, all had access to legal advice during the asylum process from the point of making the claim up to their removal from the country.

Secondary information