All in all removals in 2006 were 1,360 down on 2005, (no doubt y'all
had something to do with that, more power to your elbows).

Detention was up 13.8%: 2,060 persons were in immigration detention
of whom 1,435 had sought asylum at some stage but the figures omit
those held in prisons and police cells.

Asylum applications were down 1% compared with the last 3 months of
2006, and overall applications in 2006 were 10% less than in 2005.


Extracts from Home Office Asylum Statistics: 1st Quarter 2007 UK

Removal of Asylum Seekers
* Principal applicants removed 8 in Q1: 3,055; 3,370 including dependants
* In Q1, there were 3,055 principal applicants removed from the UK,
17% lower than in Q4 2006 (3,665), and 32% less than in Q1 2006
(4,470).
* Including dependants, 3,370 asylum seekers were removed in Q1, 17%
lower than in Q4 2006 (4,085), and 34% less than in Q1 2006 (5,085).
* The five nationalities accounting for the highest number of
removals in Q1 (principal applicants) were Turkish, Afghan, Serbian &
Montenegrin, Iraqi and Pakistani.
* 675 asylum seekers were removed under Assisted Voluntary Return
schemes (600 principal applicants and 75 dependants), 20% of the
3,370 total.
* 14,835 principal applicants were removed in 2006/07, 2% lower than
in 2005/06 (15,160). Including dependants, 16,520 asylum seekers were
removed in 2006/07, 4% less than 2005/06 (17,285).

Top 10 asylum removal nationalities (principal applicants) Q1 2007
Turkey 370
Afghanistan 290
Serbia & Montenegro 270
Iraq 160
Pakistan 150
Iran 145
India 140
Nigeria 140
Sri Lanka 110
Eritrea 100
Other nationalities 1,185
Total 3,055



Detention - including dependants
* Asylum detainees as at 31 March 2007: 1,435 detainees who had
claimed asylum at some stage
* As at 31 March 2007, 1,435 persons who had sought asylum at some
stage were being detained in the UK solely under Immigration Act
powers. This accounted for 70% of all detainees. This excludes
persons detained in police cells and prison establishments.
* 1,380 were held at Immigration Service Removal Centres, and 55 at
Immigration Short Term Holding Facilities.

Top 10 asylum detained nationalities as at 31 March 2007
Nigeria 95
Sri Lanka 95
Turkey 90
Jamaica 75
Afghanistan 70
India 65
Pakistan 65
China 65
Algeria 60
Sudan 55
Other nationalities 710
Total 1,435



Family ILR Exercise (200 more families granted ILR)
There were 61,485 main applicants identified for consideration as at
31 March 2007. Of these 24,615 were granted ILR, 8,085 were
considered on another Family ILR application, 19,920 were refused and
8,515 were found to be ineligible. There were 30 main applicants
awaiting an initial examination and 320 awaiting a decision.



* Asylum Applications in Q1: 5,680, 1% lower than previous quarter
* The number of applications for asylum in the UK, excluding
dependants, was 1% lower in Q1 (5,680) compared with Q4 (5,725), and
was 12% less than Q1 2006 (6,455). 22,750 asylum applications were
received in 2006/07, 10% lower than in 2005/06 (25,160).
* Including dependants, the number of applications to the UK
decreased by 1% in Q1 (6,750) from Q4 (6,835) and fell by 10% from
30,005 in 2005/06 to 27,070 in 2006/07.

Top 10 applicant nationalities Q1 2007
Afghanistan 755
Iran 600
China 480
Somalia 395
Eritrea 340
Zimbabwe 325
Iraq 315
Sri Lanka 280
Pakistan 250
Nigeria 180

Other Nationalities 1,770

Total 5,680

* The top 5 applicant nationalities in 2006/07 were Afghanistan
(2,635), Iran (2,400), Eritrea (2,195), China (1,960) and Somalia
(1,695). Applications from Afghan and Chinese nationals rose in
2006/07 by 45% and 12% respectively whilst applications from Iranian,
Eritrean and Somali nationals fell by -16%, - 2% and -7% respectively.

End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
IND
NCADC