Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were removed from the UK under the Dublin Convention in (a) 2005, (b) 2010 and (c) 2014.

Our records indicate that in 2010 1,150 people were removed from the UK with reference to the Dublin Regulation, which replaced the Dublin Convention in 2003. This figure includes people who claimed asylum in the UK and those who did not, but had asylum claims in other States, as the Dublin Regulation applies in both cases. Our records indicate that in 2014 520 people were removed, and in 2005 1,890 people were removed. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, and are based on the latest management information and so are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Removals from the UK under the Dublin Regulations have fallen since 2010 primarily because all Member States are unable to make transfers to Greece following the ruling on 21 January 2011 from the European Court of Human Rights in the case of MSS vs Belgium and Greece. The Court found that Greece had violated Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) that prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment both because of the poor living conditions for applicants and the failure by the Greek authorities to properly consider his asylum claim. This ruling prevents further transfers to Greece until the situation improves.

Since the Court ruling the UK has helped Greece significantly to improve its asylum system, both bilaterally and as part of interventions under the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). The UK has contributed more working days in asylum expert deployments under EASO support plans to countries such as Greece than any other Member State.