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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures the Government have in place to keep track of immigrants who enter the UK; and if he will make a statement. [69013] Beverley Hughes: A great many people who are not British citizens come to the United Kingdom each year. Excluding European Union citizens, approximately 13 million people were given leave to enter the United Kingdom in 2000, the last year for which data has been published. Foreign nationals who are granted limited leave to enter or remain for longer than three months for employment, and foreign nationals granted limited leave to enter or remain for a total period in excess of six months for any other reason are required to register with the police. Failure to do so is an offence. For this purpose, "foreign nationals" excludes European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and citizens of Commonwealth countries. This requirement does not apply to anyone who has been granted indefinite leave to enter or indefinite leave to remain. Arriving passengers awaiting a decision on whether or not they should be given leave to enter, passengers who have been refused entry, and people liable to deportation or to removal as an illegal entrant or under the powers contained in section 10 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 may be granted temporary admission pending a decision whether or not to grant leave or pending removal. This temporary admission may be subject to conditions as to residence, employment and reporting to the police or an immigration officer. Failure to comply with these conditions is also an offence. A person detained under Immigration Act powers may also be released on bail, again subject to conditions, which may include a requirement to report. The Immigration Service has seven designated reporting centres, which have been established to assist the Immigration Service in managing these reporting regimes. Alternatively a person may be required to report to a police station near their address. We are seeking to further improve our ability to remain in contact with persons seeking leave to remain in the United Kingdom. In particular, the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill will provide for the creation of accommodation centres for asylum seekers, and we will also seek to improve arrangements in respect of asylum seekers outside those centres. During the new induction process all asylum seekers are advised of the importance of informing the Home Office of any change of address and of the need to report as required. The Bill provides that the provision of support to asylum seekers will be conditional on their reporting as required.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

69013; 389 c224-5W;389 c224W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Immigration controls Immigration Migrants

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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