To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedure (a) is followed by Border Control and Immigration Agency officers in relation to cases defined as ‘work in progress hold’ and (b) determines the order in which such cases are dealt with; and what the average length of time taken was to deal with such cases in the latest period for which figures are available. (140653)

The document Fair, Effective, Transparent and Trusted: Rebuilding Confidence in our Immigration System, published in July 2006, lays out the order of priorities for legacy asylum cases. We will consider first those who may pose a risk to the public, and then those more easily removed, those receiving support, and those who may be granted leave. All cases are dealt with on their individual merits.