Skip to main content

Immigration: Failed Asylum Seekers

Volume 703: debated on Tuesday 22 July 2008

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many failed asylum seekers were returned to Sudan in the past three years. [HL4642]

Forty-five Sudanese asylum applicants (including dependants) were removed or departed voluntarily to Sudan in 2005, with 75 in 2006 and 65 in 2007. Figures include persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration and those whom it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. Figures are rounded to the nearest five, and information for 2006 and 2007 is provisional.

Further national statistics on asylum removals from the UK are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office’s research, development and statistics website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.

It is not possible to say what stage in the asylum process the returnees as a whole have reached at the time of their removal, including whether their claim has failed at that point, because those departing voluntarily can do so at any stage.

On 9 July 2008, Ministers announced that the Government have deferred enforcing the return of non-Arab Darfuri asylum seekers to Sudan pending the outcome of a country guidance case that is due to be heard by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in the near future. The case, originally listed to be heard in May, is currently waiting to be relisted and will address the safety of return to Khartoum.