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Home Office

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it became his Department's policy not to enforce removals of people refused asylum to (a) Iraq, (b) Zimbabwe and (c) Somalia; and what the reasons are for this policy in each case. [124239] Beverley Hughes: Returns of failed Iraqi asylum seekers have not been enforced since the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1990 due to the nature of the Saddam regime and subsequently due to the recent conflict. It is important that Iraqis start returning to their country now the conflict is over. At present only voluntary returns are appropriate but we will start enforced removal once conditions allows. Returns of failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers have not been enforced since 15 January 2002. On that date my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that removals had been suspended. This decision was initially made in the light of the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe in the run up to elections due in March 2002. Since that date we have not considered that it would be right to recommence enforcing removals to Zimbabwe. Returns of failed Somali asylum seekers have not been enforced since 1988 to the north of Somalia and since 1991 to the country as a whole. The original reason for this was the civil war and the overthrow of Siad Barre's administration in 1991. Somalia has since remained without a functioning central government and the security situation in much of the south of the country remains poor. Nevertheless, there are regions of the country, most notably Somaliland, where a functioning administration is in place and to which the Home Office believes enforced returns to be sustainable subject to agreement with the regional authorities. Home Office officials have been undertaking negotiations with the authorities in Somaliland on such an agreement.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

124239; 408 c1065W;408 c1063-4W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Asylum Deportation Enforcement Immigration controls Iraq Refugees Zimbabwe Somalia

Link

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