Written question asked by Phil Woolas (Labour) on Tuesday, 19 October 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 21 October 2010. It was answered by Damian Green (Conservative) on Tuesday, 26 October 2010 on behalf of the Home Office.

Illegal Immigrants

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the likely effect on the number of removals of illegal immigrants of the planned reduction in returns awards.

Answer: During the past year we have made a number of changes to our return schemes for illegal immigrants. Our schemes include Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP), Assisted Voluntary Return for Irregular Migrants scheme (AVRIM), Assisted Voluntary Return for Families and Children (AVRFC).We have also made changes to the Facilitated Returns Scheme for Foreign National Prisoners.Although the impact of the changes to these return schemes is unknown at this time, it is anticipated that the schemes will continue to significant illegal immigrant and foreign national prisoner removals in 2010.

Secondary information