asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many illegal Chinese immigrants in the United Kingdom have been repatriated in each of the past five years; how many are awaiting repatriation; of those awaiting repatriation, how many are detained; and where those detained are being held. [HL2337]

The accompanying table shows the number of Chinese nationals removed from the UK to China from 2004 to 2007. Destination data have been collated only since 2004 so information prior to this is not available.

Information on the number of persons awaiting removal from the UK is not centrally collated; it could be obtained only through examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

While information is published on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers as at the last Saturday of each quarter, information on the number of people who are recorded as being detained awaiting removal from the UK is not centrally collated; it could be obtained only through examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

National statistics on removals and persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

(1) Includes enforced removals, persons refused entry at port and subsequently removed (including cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them and persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration.

(2) From January 2005 onwards, includes those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.

(3) Figures rounded to the nearest five and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.

(4) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, including dependants.

(P) Provisional figures.