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Home Office

Answer

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers whose claims were made (a) prior to 1 July 1993 and (b) between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995 have been granted leave to remain, and for what periods, under the backlog clearance exercise; how many granted leave to remain had their asylum applications considered under normal procedures and refused; how many did not receive an initial determination of their asylum application; and if he will make a statement. [134877] Mrs. Roche: [holding answer 26 October 2000]: The information requested is given in the table. Under the backlog clearance measures announced in the White Paper, applications lodged prior to July 1993 where granted indefinite leave to enter or remain without the asylum application being considered, provided they met specified criteria. Asylum applications lodged between 1 July 1993 and 31 December 1995 (6,135) were considered substantively against the normal criteria, however in the event that they failed, consideration was given to granting exceptional leave under extended criteria set out in the White Paper. The number of applications still not determined (15,400) under the backlog clearance exercise is now negligible. Decisions{ 1} made under backlog clearance exercise{ 2} _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Applications lodged prior to July 1993 Applications lodged between July 1993 and 31 December 1995 Granted exceptional leave with immediate 6,135 -- settlement Granted asylum and indefinite leave -- 1,290 Granted exceptional leave to remain for four -- 14,110 years Refused under backlog criteria{3} 445 2,165 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Figures rounded to the nearest five. {2} Cases decided under measures aimed at reducing the pre-1996 asylum application backlog. {3} Includes some cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

134877; 356 c425W

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Asylum Applications Administrative delays Immigration Migrants Refugees

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk