Written questions by Lowe.

How many people were granted asylum by the reason for which asylum was granted in each of the last 10 years.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum claims and initial decisions on asylum claims by age group is published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. Data on asylum-related returns is published in table Ret_05 of the ‘Returns summary tables’ and initial decisions on asylum claims from small boat arrivals is published in table Irr_D03 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed tables’.Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to year ending September 2024.

How many people were granted asylum by age in each of the last 10 years.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum claims and initial decisions on asylum claims by age group is published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. Data on asylum-related returns is published in table Ret_05 of the ‘Returns summary tables’ and initial decisions on asylum claims from small boat arrivals is published in table Irr_D03 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed tables’.Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to year ending September 2024.

Whether her Department takes steps to communicate with the country of origin of asylum seekers to verify the validity of asylum claims.

Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system is carefully considered on its individual merits by assessing all the evidence provided by the claimant against a background of published country information and a wide range of recognised and publicly available sources. In accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and domestic law, we do not disclose information about an individual’s asylum claim to their home country or seek information in a way that could expose them, or any family who remain in that country, to serious risk. We take any breach of this principle extremely seriously.

How many people are on the terror watchlist broken down by ideological motivation.

It is longstanding policy not to discuss either the specific information held on any security-related watchlist, the source of the information or how it is used. To do so would be counterproductive and harmful to the national security of the UK.

What information her Department holds on refugees visiting their country of origin whilst still resident in the UK.

Where an individual has been granted refugee status in the UK, they are not expected to leave the UK to visit their country of origin. Where an individual returns to their country of origin, this will usually indicate voluntary re-availment (of the protection of that country) and may lead to revocation of protection status under the Immigration Rules.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 16274 on Undocumented Migrants: Age Assurance, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using bone density testing for all undocumented migrants claiming to be children where there is reason to doubt their claimed age.

Accurately assessing an individual's age is an incredibly complex and difficult task, and current methods and procedures for doing so are set out in detail in the Home Office's Assessing Age guidance, which is publicly available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/672e169e4f7608e424ffdab1/Assessing+age.pdf. The effectiveness of these and other potential methods and procedures for age assessment are kept under regular review, and any future changes will be updated in the usual way.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 16274 on Undocumented Migrants: Age Assurance, what the nature is of the further comprehensive age assessment.

Accurately assessing an individual's age is an incredibly complex and difficult task, and current methods and procedures for doing so are set out in detail in the Home Office's Assessing Age guidance, which is publicly available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/672e169e4f7608e424ffdab1/Assessing+age.pdf. The effectiveness of these and other potential methods and procedures for age assessment are kept under regular review, and any future changes will be updated in the usual way.

How many incidents involving improvised weapons have been recorded at Manston Immigration Centre since February 2022; and what weapons were used in those incidents.

The Home Office has maintained readily retrievable records in electronic format for incidents of this kind at Manston since 2023. These incidents are rare.One improvised weapon was detected in 2023 and one was detected in 2024. These weapons were found on entry to Manston, as part of our multi-layered approach to physical security, and seized. No weapons are known to have been improvised within Manston, and none are known to have been used there.Incidents of this kind occurring at Manston before 2023 were subject to manual recording across multiple stakeholders and obtaining the requisite information for the period April to December 2022 could only be done at disproportionate cost.

How many times the number of irregular migrants processed at Western Jet Foil did not match the number processed at Manston Immigration Centre since February 2022.

All people arriving at Western JetFoil are controlled and tracked through the immigration system, irrespective of the processing facility used.The majority of are processed further at Manston Immigration Centre but certain vulnerable cohorts, such as Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children who are processed at the Kent Intake Unit (KIU), are processed elsewhere including in circumstances (e.g. medical emergency) where immediate onward processing at Manston is neither practical nor desirable.The frequency of occurrence of this minority cohort of arrivals, and the manual trawl of records that would be required to confirm numbers, is such that the information would only be available at a disproportionate cost.

Whether her Department developed plans to use roll-on/roll-off ferries to bring irregular migrants to the UK from France in 2022.

We cannot comment on proposals developed under a previous Government. This Government has no interest in reviving any such plans.

How many deportations have not taken place due to mental health concerns in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not held in a reportable format and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual trawl of case records to retrieve.

How many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children under 18 absconded and did not return last year.

The information requested is not held in a reportable format and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual trawl of case records to retrieve.

How many and what proportion of irregular migrants arriving by small boat possessed (a) a passport and (b) another form of identification in each year since 2018.

The information requested is not held in a reportable format and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual trawl of case records to retrieve.

How many female migrants have reported sexual assault in Manston Immigration Centre in each of the last ten years.

There have been no reported sexual assaults at Manston Reception Centre since it opened in April 2022.

What the procurement references are of current contracts related to the housing of irregular migrants.

Asylum seekers requiring accommodation under sections 4, 95 or 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are accommodated under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC). The procurement references for these contracts can be found on Contracts Finder - GOV.UK.

For what services related to irregular migration work is undertaken by (a) contracted companies and (b) staff of her Department.

The amount of work required to break down every element of activity related to irregular migration carried out by (a) Home Office officials, (b) other public bodies, and (c) external contractors could only be carried out for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

If she will make an estimate of the number of migrants processed at Manston Immigration Centre without biometric system support since February 2022.

All persons processed at Manston Reception Centre have their biometric data recorded as part of initial reception processes. This has been the case since Manston opened in April 2022. On occasion, there have been cases where the biometric data was captured in another detention setting after individuals have left Manston. Due to the large number of records that would have to be individually checked to confirm when and where biometrics were taken, the information being sought could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 December to Question 15294 on Undocumented Migrants: Public Opinion, if she will publish a breakdown of (a) companies contracted by the Department for polling on irregular migration and (b) the cost to the public purse of this polling.

A polling contract is currently in place with Savanta Group Limited. This two-year contract commenced in August 2023 and is available online on Contracts Finder. Spend on irregular migration polling cannot be provided. The department polls on a range of policy areas and spend on irregular migration cannot be disaggregated from total spend. We have no plans to publish all polling results on irregular migration. However, the department does regularly publish a range of statistics, research and evaluation on migration, which is available on gov.uk.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a consultation process with local residents before (a) a hotel and (b) other accommodation is used to house irregular migrants.

The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered.The Home Office liaises with statutory partners, including local authorities directly and via Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMP) on matters relating to its asylum accommodation footprint.  SMPs are Local Government led partnerships funded by, but independent of, the Home Office, whose role is to coordinate and support delivery of national programmes in asylum and refugee schemes as well as agreed regional and devolved migration priorities.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2024 to Question 15393 on Undocumented Migrants: Hotels, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing a breakdown of the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 27 November to question UIN 15076.