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Latest Immigration And Asylum Figures Published

22 August 2006

The Government publishes its latest asylum and immigration figures today.

Quarterly asylum figures show that asylum applications fell by 15 per cent to 5,490 in the second quarter of 2006 compared with 6,455 in Q1. Removals increased by three per cent with 4,480 principal applicants removed in Q2 compared to 4,430 in Q1, a 36 per cent increase on the same period last year (3,285 in Q2 2005). Home Office minister Tony McNulty said:

“The figures published today show that while removals are at their highest level ever, asylum intake is at its lowest level since Q3 1993, and that we are continuing to make real progress.

“For the second quarter of 2006 we have met our target of removing more failed asylum seekers than the number of predicted unfounded claims received. There is more still to do and we are not complacent. Maintaining this performance will continue to be a major challenge but we are determined not to lose ground we have gained in the past year and will strive to build further on our success.

“When combined with the measures outlined in our recent review of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) to strengthen our borders and enforce compliance with our immigration laws, today’s statistics give many reasons to be optimistic that we can restore public confidence in our immigration system.”

In July this year, following a review of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate Ministers announced a range of measures to improve the way IND manages immigration and asylum by strengthening our borders; fast tracking asylum decisions; enforcing immigration law, removing the most harmful people first, and boosting Britain’s economy through migration, which it published in ‘Fair, effective, transparent and trusted: Rebuilding confidence in our immigration system’.

The quarterly asylum statistics also show that:

  • The top applicant nationalities for asylum were Afghanistan (580), China (535) and Eritrea (also 535); Zimbabwe was no longer in the top five - as intake fell 52 per cent to 355 between Q1 and Q2;
  • The number of initial decisions taken fell by 20 per cent - from 6,260 in Q1 to 4,980 in Q2.

The latest annual ‘Control of Immigration Statistics’ show:

The total number of work permit holders and dependants admitted to the UK was 137,000 in 2005 - an increase of ten per cent when compared to 2004;

Mr McNulty added:

 “The Government is committed to ensuring that those migrants  entering the UK do so to benefit the UK economy and earlier this year  announced its new points based system, which will enable the UK to  control migration more effectively. Crucially, it will allow only those  people with the skills the UK needs come to this country, while  preventing those without these skills applying.”

Also published today are figures on the number of individuals from the EU accession states who registered to work in the UK. These show that a total of 447,000 people applied to the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) between May 2004 and June 2006. In the last quarter the number of individuals applying fell slightly to 52,195 (of which 49,850 were approved) compared to 57,105 (55,100 approved) for the same period last year.

Mr McNulty said:

 “The latest Worker Registration Scheme figures show that migrant  workers from the accession states are benefiting the UK, by filling skills  and labour gaps that cannot be met from the UK-born population.

“We are yet to take a decision as to what access Bulgarian and Romanian nationals will have to our labour market when they join the EU. Any decision will be based on objective factors including an evaluation of our labour market needs and the impact of the A8 accession, but also the position of other Member States.”

European Community Association Agreements (ECAA) figures published today also show that robust consideration is being given to the number of Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian nationals allowed to enter or remain in the UK to set up their own businesses.

Of a total of 2,340 applications by Turkish nationals decided between January 2005 and June 2006, 16 per cent were granted, 63 per cent were refused and 20 per cent were withdrawn by the applicants. Of 7,185 applications considered by Entry Clearance Officers in Bulgaria and Romania between August 2004 and June 2006, 15 per cent were granted, 75 per cent were refused and 11 per cent were withdrawn by the applicants.

The statistics also show that the backlog of ECAA applications, which arose when applications were temporarily suspended pending the implementation of the recommendations of the Sutton report in 2004, has been reduced by more than 7,000 cases.

Notes to editors:

  1. The Office for National Statistics also published its final report into its Quality Review of the Home Office’s “Control of Immigration Statistics: United Kingdom” - at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html 

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