Quarterly asylum statistics May 2016

Transcription

1 Information Quarterly asylum statistics May 2016 This briefing covers the latest quarterly asylum statistics. For annual and longer term trends see the Refugee Council briefing on asylum trends. APPLICATIONS: The number of applications for asylum in the UK increased in Q compared with Q1 2015, but was lower than the last two quarters of Table 1: Asylum applications in the UK by quarter (excl. Dependants) 5,955 6,203 10,156 10,100 8,228 Applications by nationality: Compared with the corresponding quarter in 2015 there was a large increase in the number of applicants from Iran. Iraq, Bangladesh, and India. All of the top ten countries of origin showed an increase except for Syria and Eritrea. Table 2: Top ten asylum applicant producing countries by quarter (excl. Dependants) Q Q % change Iran 435 1, % Iraq % Pakistan % Bangladesh % Afghanistan % Syria % India % Albania % Nigeria % Eritrea % Registered office: : Gredley House, 11 Broadway, Stratford, E15 4BQ, United Kingdom VAT reg no: Page 1 of 8

2 Applications by location The proportion of applications made at ports and in-country has changed only marginally in the past year, and for in-country applications was 89% in Q Table 3: Applications by location (excl. dependants), by quarter In-country 5,374 5,694 9,361 9,065 7,304 Port , Total 5,955 6,203 10,156 10,100 8,228 DECISIONS: In Q1 2016, 6,644 initial asylum decisions were made, excluding dependants; a decrease of 26% compared with Q (8,976) but similar to the previous three quarters. 30% of initial decisions in Q were to grant asylum, compared with 31% in Q % of initial decisions in Q were to grant Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave, compared with 1.2% in Q and 64% were refusals, the same as in Q Table 4: Initial Decisions (excl. dependants) by quarter Decisions 8,976 6,318 6,755 6,901 6,644 Refugee status 2,784 31% 2,360 37% 2,450 36% 2,381 35% 1,963 30% Humanitarian Protection % % % % % Discretionary Leave 94 1% % % % % Other Grants 336 4% 289 5% 234 3% 248 4% 347 5% Refused 5,744 64% 3,598 57% 3,995 59% 4,194 61% 4,282 64% Countries with a high percentage of applicants granted protection in Q included Sudan and Syria. Several countries had very high refusal rates. Table5: Asylum decisions by nationality, Q1 2016, top ten countries for number of decisions Decisions Refugee Humanitarian Discretionary Other Grants Refusals status Protection Leave Iran Iraq Syria Sudan Pakistan Afghanistan Bangladesh Eritrea India Albania Registered office: : Gredley House, 11 Broadway, Stratford, E15 4BQ, United Kingdom VAT reg no: Page 2 of 8

3 APPEALS: 1,974 appeals were determined in Q1 2016, 12% fewer than in Q (2,242). The number of appeals heard had been steadily declining until Q but has increased since then until Q4 2015, when it decreased, and has decreased again. The proportion of appeals allowed was 43% in Q1 2016, while 52% were dismissed. The remainder were withdrawn. Table 6: Appeals determined, by quarters Determined 2,242 2,299 2,561 2,013 1,974 Allowed % % % % % Dismissed 1,490 66% 1,425 62% 1,463 57% 1,044 52% 1,036 52% Withdrawn 107 5% 130 6% 127 5% 195 5% 98 5% ASYLUM SUPPORT: The total number of asylum seekers (including dependants) in receipt of Section 95 asylum support at the end of Q was 35,683, an increase of 17% from Q ,748 of these asylum seekers were receiving subsistence only support at the end of Q ,935 of these asylum seekers were supported in dispersal accommodation at the end of Q The region of the UK with the largest number in dispersal accommodation at the end of Q was the North West (8,680). 2,240 asylum seekers were in initial accommodation under Section 98 support at the end of Q Table 7: Asylum seekers in receipt of Section 95 asylum support at the end of each quarter (incl. Dependants) Dispersed accommodation 27,003 26,984 28,620 31,432 32,935 Subsistence only 3,473 3,473 3,276 2,931 2,748 Initial accommodation ,660 1,985 2,240 Applicants supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act decisions to grant Section 4 support were made in Q1 2016, a decrease compared to recent quarters. At the end of Q ,366 applicants, excluding dependants, were receiving Section 4 support. 1,274 dependants were also receiving Section 4 support. Registered office: : Gredley House, 11 Broadway, Stratford, E15 4BQ, United Kingdom VAT reg no: Page 3 of 8

4 Table 8: Grants of Section 4 Support Number of grants 1,320 1,386 1,284 1, Table 9: Numbers in receipt of Section 4 Support at the end of the quarter (excl. dependants) Number supported 3,616 3,318 2,834 2,525 2,366 ENFORCEMENT & COMPLIANCE: Removals (Asylum Applicants) Including dependants, 910 asylum seekers were removed or departed voluntarily from the UK in Q1 2016, a 38% decrease from Q (1,477). 770 asylum seekers left via enforced removals and notified voluntary departures from the UK in Q1 2016, a 35% decrease from Q (1,190). 58 asylum seekers left under Assisted Voluntary Return schemes in Q1 2016, a 70% decrease from Q (192). 82 asylum seekers left via other types of voluntary departures in Q1 2016, a 14% decrease from Q (95). Table 10: Removals and voluntary departures of asylum applicants, incl. dependants, by quarter Enforced 1, Assisted Voluntary Notified Voluntary Other Voluntary Total 1,477 1,393 1,179 1, Detention Persons leaving detention A total of 3,309 people were recorded as having been removed from the UK upon leaving detention, having been held solely under Immigration Act powers in Q1 2016; 729 (22% of the total) were asylum detainees. Of those removed from the UK from detention in Q1 2016, 1,173 people had been detained for 3 days or less and a further 1,100 had been detained for 28 days or less. 10 people had been detained for months and 3 people for 24 months or more. Registered office: : Gredley House, 11 Broadway, Stratford, E15 4BQ, United Kingdom VAT reg no: Page 4 of 8

5 Persons Detained at the end of Q At the end of Q a total of 2,925 persons were detained, none of whom were children. 1,496 persons who had sought asylum at some stage were being detained solely under Immigration Act powers (51% of all immigration detainees) 89% of all detainees at the end of Q were male. Children in Detention 23 children were recorded as entering detention in Q Of these 14 were asylum detainees. In the same period 23 children left detention. Detained Asylum Seekers by Nationality Table 11: Countries with largest numbers of asylum detainees, end of Q End of Q1 End of Q India Pakistan Bangladesh Nigeria China Iran Iraq Albania Afghanistan Vietnam CHILDREN: Applications by Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum The number of applications from unaccompanied children, excluding dependants, was 661 in Q1 2016, a 33% increase compared with Q (498), but a decrease compared with the two previous quarters. Table 12: Asylum applications by Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum (excl. dependants) Applications , Registered office: : Gredley House, 11 Broadway, Stratford, E15 4BQ, United Kingdom VAT reg no: Page 5 of 8

6 Iran was the top country of origin for number of unaccompanied children (23% of all applications in Q1 2016). Afghanistan accounted for 19% of applications, Iraq for 15%, and Albania for 15%. Together these four countries accounted for 72% of all applications in Q In Q % of applicants were male, a similar percentage to earlier quarters. In Q asylum applications by unaccompanied children were made by girls. Table 13: Applications by unaccompanied children seeking asylum Total Applications % Female Applications by girls Q % Q % Q % Q % Q % For the detailed statistics on the main countries of origin for unaccompanied girls seeking asylum see the Refugee Council briefing on annual trends in statistics. Age Disputed Cases The number of age disputed cases raised in Q was 296, an increase compared with Q (108). Iran (86), Afghanistan (72) and Iraq (52) were the countries of origin with the largest number of age disputed cases in Q Table 14: Age Disputed Asylum applications (excl. dependants) Applications N.B. The Home Office statistics on age disputed cases do not include the category of those applicants who claim to be children but who are treated as adult because in the opinion of an Immigration officer their physical appearance and/or general demeanour very strongly indicates that they are significantly over 18 years and no other credible evidence exists to the contrary Decisions The majority of decisions on asylum applications by unaccompanied children under the age of 18 used to be grants of discretionary leave. In 2013, for example, 72% of all grants of discretionary leave were to children aged 17 and under, although they accounted for only 5% of total decisions. For decisions on unaccompanied children who have reached the age of 18 there was a refusal rate of 70% in For unaccompanied children a new category, UASC leave, has been used since 2013 in cases where the only reason for giving leave is that the applicant is a child who cannot be returned, and this means there are far fewer grants of discretionary leave. Registered office: : Gredley House, 11 Broadway, Stratford, E15 4BQ, United Kingdom VAT reg no: Page 6 of 8

7 Table 15: Initial asylum decisions on unaccompanied children aged 17 and under by Quarter Total Refugee Humanitarian Discretionary UASC Leave Family or Refusals status Protection Leave Private Life Q Q Q Q Q Table 16: Initial asylum decisions on unaccompanied children who have reached the age of 18 by Quarter Total Refugee Humanitarian Discretionary UASC Leave Family or Refusals status Protection Leave Private Life Q Q Q Q Q ASYLUM APPLICATIONS (DEPENDANTS): In Q there were 1,910 dependants included in asylum applications. Statistics which deal with the age and gender of dependants are published only in annual statistics, and not on a quarterly basis. These statistics are published in August each year. Table 17: Dependants included in asylum applications Number of main applicants 5,955 6,203 10,156 10,100 8,228 Number of dependants 1,498 1,364 1,872 1,730 1,910 For the detailed statistics on dependants see the Refugee Council briefing on annual trends in statistics. WOMEN AND GIRLS: The detailed data relating to asylum applications by women, including countries of origin, decisions, and appeals is published only on an annual basis, in August of each year. There are no quarterly statistics available. For the detailed statistics on women and girls see the Refugee Council briefing on annual trends in statistics. Registered office: : Gredley House, 11 Broadway, Stratford, E15 4BQ, United Kingdom VAT reg no: Page 7 of 8

8 NOTE The full detailed statistics covering the most recent period can be found on the Gov.UK website via the following link: For older statistics follow this link: About the Refugee Council The Refugee Council is one of the leading organisations in the UK working with asylum seekers and refugees. We give help and support to asylum seekers and refugees, and also work with them to ensure their needs and concerns are addressed by decision-makers. Registered office: : Gredley House, 11 Broadway, Stratford, E15 4BQ, United Kingdom VAT reg no: Page 8 of 8