---

Home Office

Answer

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of asylum seekers held in detention at the end of (i) October, (ii) November and (iii) December; in which establishments they were held; what were their (a) nationalities and (b) gender; and how many were deported and from which establishments. [12321] Mr. Kirkhope: The available information on asylum seekers detained, and on the number deported from detention, is given in the tables. The number deported does not include those who are removed as illegal entrants or under port refusal procedures. A comprehensive breakdown of those recorded as deported from detention, by location of detention, is available only at disproportionate cost. Number{1} of asylum detainees deported{2} during October, November and December 1996 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Month Number of deported asylum detainees{3} October 8 November 7 December 12 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Provisional figures. {2} Removed under the deportation process, including those who departed voluntarily after deportation action had been initiated. {3} Persons detained solely under the powers contained in Schedules 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971. Table 1: Number of people recorded as detained{1} {2} on 5 November and 11 December 1996 who had sought asylum at some stage, by gender _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Gender As at 5 November As at 11 December Male 739 681 Female 69 73 Total 808 754 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Persons detained only under the powers contained in Schedules 2 or 3 Immigration Act 1971. {2} These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution. Table 2: Number of people recorded as detained{12} on 5 November and 11 December 1996 who had sought asylum at some stage, by location of detention _________________________________________________________________________________________________. As at 5 November As at 11 December Prisons HMP Rochester 145 137 HMP Haslar 98 86 HMP Birmingham 21 15 HMP Wormwood Scrubs 10 8 HMP Magilligan 8 6 HMP Brixton 4 5 HMP Manchester 3 5 HMP Greenock 4 4 HMP Armley -- 2 HMP Doncaster 2 2 HMP Elmley 2 2 HMP High Down -- 2 HMP Wandsworth 3 2 Other prison{3} 25 16 Other places of detention Campsfield House 153 162 Tinsley House 110 112 Harmondsworth 91 87 Police Cells 42 36 Meadvale Buildings 33 33 Queens Buildings 7 14 Manchester Airport 10 9 Dover Harbour 14 5 Other place of detention{3} 23 4 Total 808 754 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Persons detained solely under the powers contained in Schedules 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971. {2} These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution. {3} The "Others" categories may include places of detention already listed. Table 3: Number of people recorded as detained{(1)(2)} on November and 11 December 1996 who had sought asylum at some stage, by nationality _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Nationality As at 5 November As at 11 December Nigeria 114 106 Algeria 68 79 India 70 75 Sri Lanka 55 51 Zaire 43 42 Ghana 46 40 Pakistan 44 39 China 42 38 Turkey 38 32 Romania 19 17 Cyprus 17 15 Israel 15 15 Angola 19 14 Bangladesh 13 11 Gambia 14 11 Yugoslavia 15 10 Iran 9 9 Jamaica 9 9 Russia 9 8 Columbia 14 7 Ethiopia 9 7 Poland 10 7 Tanzania 6 7 Uganda 5 7 Kenya 5 6 Liberia 10 6 Lithuania 5 6 Sierra Leone 6 6 Ecuador 4 5 Ivory Coast 7 5 Morocco 5 5 Iraq -- 4 Lebanon -- 4 Slovakia 5 3 South Africa 3 3 Bulgaria 2 2 Cameroon -- 2 Congo 2 2 Eritrea 3 2 Philippines -- 2 Others{3} 41 25 Nationality doubtful 7 10 Total 808 754 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Persons detained solely under the powers contained in Schedules 2 or 3 of the Immigration Act 1971. {2} These figures include people who have been in detention for less than a month. Because of the delay in recording receptions into, and releases from, detention and the large number of persons detained for a short period, the figures should be used with caution. {3} The `Others' categories may include places of detention already listed.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

12321; 289 c2-4W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Detainees Deportation Migrants Prisoners Refugees

Contains statistics

Yes