Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to grant discretionary leave to remain in the UK to asylum seekers who have waited a year or longer at immigration detention centres .

Almost all asylum claims are processed in the community. Those who have their claim processed in detention are those who claim only after having been detained for removal, or who are detained for public protection reasons. We may also detain failed asylum seekers for removal if they refuse to leave the UK voluntarily.

In all cases, the appropriateness of detention is considered through regular reviews and whenever there is new evidence about removability or vulnerability. Detention is kept to the shortest period necessary. It may be maintained only whilst there is a realistic prospect of removal within a reasonable period of time.

There are no plans to review the Discretionary Leave policy.