Written question asked by Chris Mullin (Labour) on Monday, 5 June 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 7 June 2006. It was answered by Liam Byrne (Labour) on Thursday, 22 June 2006 on behalf of the Home Office.

Asylum/Immigration

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers have been returned to Iran in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Information on the destination of asylum removals has only been recorded since the start of 2004. The latest published information on removal of asylum seekers covers the first quarter of 2006. The number of principal asylum applicants, excluding dependants, removed to Iran, was 220 in 2004, 350 in 2005, and 95 in the first quarter of 2006.These figures include people departing voluntarily after enforcement action has been initiated against them and people leaving under Assisted Voluntary Returns programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration. Since 2005 removal figures will include those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. Information on removals of asylum seekers for the second quarter of 2006 will be published later this year on the Home Office website at:"http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html."

Secondary information