Written question asked by John Bercow (Conservative) on Thursday, 20 April 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 24 April 2006. It was answered by Tony McNulty (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 May 2006 on behalf of the Home Office.

Asylum/Immigration

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what post-return monitoring is in place to ensure that all returns to Iraq are safe and sustainable.

Answer: Returnees under VARRP are only monitored in so far as they have approached the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to receive counselling and reintegration assistance. Initial counselling begins upon arrival at the port of entry and further counselling takes place post-arrival, which ranges from assistance with social reinsertion and administrative procedures .Of those who have been monitored through their use of reintegration assistance it has been reported that there is no evidence that returnees have found themselves in danger or under threat of persecution due to their being returnees.There is no post-return monitoring or sustainability programme for those persons who choose not to return as part of an assisted voluntary return package and whose subsequent removal from the UK is enforced.However, removal will only be carried out where it is considered both appropriate and safe to do so and only after a full assessment of each case has been thoroughly conducted.

Secondary information