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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) asylum applicants, (b) failed asylum applicants, (c) successful asylum applicants and (d) settled asylum seekers there are in Wales; and what the estimated number of illegal immigrants is in Wales, broken down by (i) police force, (ii) constituency and (iii) local authority area for each year since 1997. [151737] Beverley Hughes: The information is not available in the form requested. Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives. Asylum seekers currently in the UK are either in receipt of support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) or from local authorities, or are supporting themselves. Information on numbers of asylum applications and decision outcomes relating to asylum seekers in particular areas of the UK is unavailable as are statistics regarding the location of asylum seekers not in receipt of NASS support. There are no reliable figures available on the refugee or illegal immigrant population. The following table shows the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) accommodated by MASS and receiving subsistence only support in Wales as at the end of each quarter since December 2001. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. As at end: In receipt of subsistence only support Supported in MASS accommodation December 2001 140 700 March 2002 160 1,020 June 2002 175 1,150 September 2002 180 1,405 December 2002 180 1,585 March 2003 185 1,870 June 2003 175 2,130 September 2003 160 2,350 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 5. Information on NASS supported asylum seekers can be broken down to local authority level and parliamentary constituency level. The following table shows the numbers of asylum seekers in Wales at local authority level (available from December 2002). _________________________________________________________________________________________________. As at end: Cardiff Neath Port Newport Swansea Wrexham Other1 Talbot December 2002 Subsistence 70 -- 25 15 -- 70 Accommodation 1,000 * 115 410 55 -- March 2003 Subsistence 75 -- 20 20 -- 70 Accommodation 1,105 5 135 585 45 -- June 2003 Subsistence 65 -- -- 25 -- 85 Accommodation 1,165 5 200 710 50 -- September 2003 Subsistence 60 -- -- 20 -- 75 Accommodation 1,230 5 280 790 45 -- _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Local authorities with fewer than 20 asylum seekers in receipt of subsistence only support are grouped as `other'. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 with * = 1 or 2. The following table shows the number of asylum seekers in Wales at parliamentary constituency level (available only as at end September 2003). _________________________________________________________________________________________________. In receipt of subsistence only support Supported in NASS accommodation Aberavon 5 5 Alyn and Deeside 5 -- Caerphilly 10 -- Cardiff Central 25 530 Cardiff North 5 85 Cardiff South and Penarth 20 420 Cardiff West 10 200 Clwyd South -- 5 Clwyd West 5 -- Conwy 5 -- Cynon Valley 5 -- Gower 5 15 Llanelli 5 -- Newport East 5 115 Newport West 10 165 Swansea East 5 470 Swansea West 10 305 Torfaen 5 -- Wrexham 5 40 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest five and parliamentary constituencies with one or two asylum seekers resident are excluded from the table. The parliamentary constituency boundaries have been created using the November 2003 Office for National Statistics definitions.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

151737; 418 c236-7W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Asylum Applications Immigration Undocumented migrants Wales

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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