asked Her Majesty's Government:How many unaccompanied children reached the United Kingdom seeking asylum in each of the last 12 months; and whether they can state their countries of origin. [HL3274]
The available information is given in the following table.
Unaccompanied1 children, aged 17 or under, applying for asylum in the United Kingdom, by nationality
| |||||||||||||
Number of principal applicants
| |||||||||||||
19982
| 19992
| 1998–992
| |||||||||||
Nationality
| Apr
| May
| Jun
| Jul
| Aug
| Sep
| Oct
| Nov
| Dec
| Jan
| Feb
| Mar
| Total
|
| Afghanistan | 6 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 127 |
| Albania | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 55 |
| Algeria | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 27 |
| Angola | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 12 |
| Bangladesh | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 |
| Belarus | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Burundi | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| China | 25 | 39 | 36 | 44 | 31 | 12 | 8 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 7 | 15 | 264 |
| Colombia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 24 |
| Cyprus | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Czech Republic | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Ecuador | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 4 |
| Eritrea | 3 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 87 |
| Ethiopia | 2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 76 |
| Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | 96 | 84 | 193 | 325 | 262 | 139 | 139 | 86 | 59 | 75 | 66 | 70 | 1,594 |
| Ghana | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Guinea | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
| India | 1 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| Indonesia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Iran | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 7 |
| Iraq | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 39 |
| Jamaica | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 3 |
| Kenya | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 14 |
| Latvia | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 5 |
| Lebanon | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 |
| Liberia | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Lithuania | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | 1 | 17 |
| Macedonia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Moldova | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 5 |
| Nigeria | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | 25 |
| Pakistan | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Poland | 2 | 5 | — | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 41 |
| Romania | 7 | 9 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 73 |
| Russia | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Rwanda | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | — | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 17 |
| Sierra Leone | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 25 |
| Slovakia | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 |
| Somalia | 12 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 164 |
| Sri Lanka | 9 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 97 |
| Sudan | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 5 |
| Tanzania | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 3 |
| Turkey | 1 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 24 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 122 |
| Uganda | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 9 |
| Former USSR (unspecified) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vietnam | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 |
| Former Yugoslavia (unspecified) 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 28 |
| Stateless Palestine | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Other nationalities | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 44 |
| Nationality unknown | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 17 |
| Total | 193 | 201 | 309 | 492 | 406 | 274 | 259 | 215 | 182 | 224 | 161 | 188 | 3,104 |
1 Unaccompanied at the point of their arrival, excluding those known to be joining a close relative in the United Kingdom. | |||||||||||||
2 Figures are provisional. | |||||||||||||
3 In-country applicants only. | |||||||||||||