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Written Question
Asylum: Hong Kong
Wednesday 3rd February 2021

Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum applications made by Hong Kong residents were (1) accepted, and (2) rejected, in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, and (c) 2021 to date.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Immigration statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Data on the number of asylum applications and initial decisions on applications are published in table Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets, Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)which include a breakdown for year and nationality.

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data include up to September 2020.

Table showing the initial decisions on Hong Kong asylum applications for 2019 and 2020 (Jan-Sep).

Year

2019

2020 (Jan-Sep)

Granted Asylum

0

1

Refused

2

0


Notes:

  1. Includes main applicants only
  2. Initial decisions are based on date of decision and do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period. For example, a decision in 2019 may relate to an application made in 2018.
  3. The published data relate to nationality, rather than country of residence


    Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.

Immigration Statistics will be updated on February 25th which will include data for 2020 Q4; further future releases will include data for quarters of 2021.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. immigration - Research and statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Written Question
Falun Gong: China
Tuesday 19th January 2021

Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to extend the Government’s Country Policy and Information Note on Falun Gong in China to include Hong Kong if the new National Security Law results in following Falun Gong being outlawed in Hong Kong.

Answered by Kevin Foster

All asylum and human rights claims from Chinese nationals are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of the latest available country of origin information and any relevant caselaw.

Our assessment of the situation for those who practise Falun Gong in China, including the situation for those in Hong Kong, is set out in the relevant country policy and information note, which is available on the Gov.uk website.

We regularly monitor and review the situation in countries of origin, working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Where there is a change to the country situation, we will look to address this in an update to the country policy and information note.

Written Question
Immigrants: Hong Kong
Wednesday 7th October 2020

Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is available for Hong Kong citizens seeking asylum in the UK to apply for (a) the right to remain and (b) the right to work and study in the UK.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

There is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge.

All asylum claims must be lodged in-country and we have no plans to amend this. However, all asylum claims made in the UK are judged on their individual merits. Asylum seekers have by definition applied for the right to remain and they will usually have the right to work and the right to study if certain conditions are met.

The UK Government is introducing a new immigration route for British National (Overseas) citizens in Hong Kong, providing the opportunity for them and their family members to live, work and study in the UK. This follows the imposition by the Chinese Government of a national security law on Hong Kong, in breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, that restricts the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong.

Written Question
British National (Overseas): Hong Kong
Tuesday 21st July 2020

Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy to grant non-British Nationals Overseas Hong Kongers (a) asylum and (b) refugee status on the grounds of persecution as a result of political beliefs.

Answered by Kevin Foster

All asylum claims are carefully considered on their individual merits and determined on a case-by case basis.

There is no general asylum policy relating to non-BN(O) individuals from Hong Kong.

Written Question
Asylum: Hong Kong
Monday 13th July 2020

Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Hong Kong have sought asylum in the UK from 21 May 2020 to 8 July 2020; and how many of those applications for asylum have been granted.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Data on the number of asylum applications and the initial decision on such applications are published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets.

Data covering April to June 2020 will be published as part of the August release of Immigration Statistics.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance

Written Question
Visas: British National (Overseas)
Tuesday 23rd June 2020

Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that young people from Hong Kong born after 1997 and therefore not holding British National (Overseas) passports are able to access asylum in the event that the proposed National Security law is implemented and they are in danger of political prosecution.

Answered by Kevin Foster

There is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. All asylum claims must be lodged in-country and we have no plans to amend this.

However, in considering arrangements for BN(O)s to come to the UK, we will also consider our approach to the dependants of BN(O)s who do not themselves hold BN(O) status.

Written Question
Asylum: Applications
Monday 7th January 2019

Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many occasions his Department has invited home-country officials to interview asylum seekers; and what the nationality of those officials was in each year since 2010.

Answered by Caroline Nokes

We have a proud history of providing protection to those who need it. All asylum claims are carefully considered on their individual merits by assessing all evidence provided by the claimant against published country information. In line with our legal duty of confidentiality, we do not disclose information about asylum claims to an individual’s home country. We do not facilitate interviews with representatives from an asylum seeker’s home country whilst their claim is being considered.

Only after an individual’s asylum claim is refused, may it become necessary, as with foreign national offenders and those without a legal basis for remaining in the UK, to confirm their identity and nationality with the receiving country and to obtain a travel document to facilitate a voluntary or enforced return.

It is a requirement of some foreign governments to interview such individuals to confirm identity/nationality and to agree to issue a travel document. These interviews are coordinated in a number of ways based on the circumstances of the person’s case and the particular process for re-documentation stipulated by the receiving foreign government. These include ad-hoc interviews for individuals and regular interview exercises with UK based officials from diplomatic missions, and central government officials visiting the UK.

The number of occasions these activities took place is not held in a format that is reportable.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of countries whose officials have conducted interviews;

Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Liberia, Malaysia, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Tunisia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Written Question
Asylum
Tuesday 26th January 2016

Asked by: Lord Green of Deddington (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum applications have been made in each of the last five years by applicants who entered the UK on a student visa; what were the nationalities of each applicant; how many of those applications were refused, and how many unsuccessful applicants were subsequently removed.

Answered by Lord Bates

Over the last five years there have been 15,470 cases of individuals who have entered on a student visa and subsequently also went on to claim asylum. Details by year and nationality are below.

Unfortunately the way corresponding data is held on asylum outcome means that to obtain the numbers of cases that were granted, refused and removed could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

Visa Nationality

Asylum Year

Grand Total

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Afghanistan

10

26

63

73

69

241

Albania

2


6

3

5

16

Algeria


7

4

2

4

17

Angola



2



2

Armenia

1



1


2

Azerbaijan



4

1

1

6

Bahrain


6

5


1

12

Bangladesh

12

31

167

318

264

792

Belarus

1




1

2

Benin





1

1

Bolivia



1



1

Botswana


1

2

1

2

6

Bulgaria



1



1

Burkina Faso


1




1

Burma (Myanmar)

166

98

42

14

13

333

Burundi

2



1


3

Cameroon

4

3

9

33

52

101

Central African Republic




1


1

China

16

25

95

162

160

458

Colombia

2

3

3

2

1

11

Congo



3

2

1

6

Democratic Republic of Congo

5


7

5


17

Egypt

1

8

12

15

15

51

Equatorial Guinea




1


1

Eritrea

6

2

3

2

3

16

Ethiopia

9

5

6

11

8

39

Gambia

11

9

38

39

32

129

Georgia

2


5



7

Ghana



3

3

2

8

Guinea

3

1

2

5

6

17

HONG KONG





1

1

India

10

26

244

320

294

894

Iran

106

244

464

307

148

1269

Iraq

6

3

15

17

54

95

Israel




1

1

2

Ivory Coast

1

2

5

1

2

11

Jamaica



1

2

2

5

Japan


1


1


2

Jordan

2

4

4

5

3

18

Kenya

6

5

10

12

12

45

Kuwait

1




1

2

Kyrgyzstan

5

3


3

2

13

Lebanon


1

2

6

5

14

Liberia

1




1

2

Libya

7

114

73

57

86

337

Malawi

2

4

10

15

9

40

Malaysia

1



2

3

6

Maldives





1

1

Mali

1

2

1

1

1

6

Mauritius

1

2

3


4

10

MEXICO





2

2

Mongolia


1

2

3

2

8

Morocco


3

6

6

3

18

Nepal

4

3

33

37

25

102

Nigeria

6

12

94

142

136

390

Oman


1



2

3

Pakistan

52

385

1313

1471

1265

4486

Palestinian Authority

18

24

30

25

30

127

Philippines


1

8

12

11

32

Russian Federation

2


1

4

3

10

Rwanda

9

7

3

5

5

29

Saudi Arabia



4

3

6

13

Senegal


4

7

4

3

18

Sierra Leone

1


4

9

2

16

SINGAPORE





1

1

Somalia


1


1

3

5

South Africa


1

1


2

4

SOUTH KOREA



1

2


3

SOUTH SUDAN





1

1

Sri Lanka

230

744

1137

1171

715

3997

St Lucia



1



1

St Vincent & the Grenadines



1



1

Sudan

6

11

23

11

9

60

Syria

8

24

256

251

134

673

Tanzania

10

8

15

17

11

61

Thailand





1

1

Tunisia


2


1


3

Turkey

6

8

10

5

3

32

Turkmenistan

1

1

1

3

3

9

Uganda

7

11

42

33

41

134

Ukraine





9

9

Uzbekistan



1

4


5

Venezuela





3

3

Vietnam

1

1

5

9

17

33

Yemen

2


5

3

5

15

Yugoslavia



1



1

Zambia

1


4

3

4

12

Zimbabwe

14

11

26

15

15

81

Grand Total

781

1901

4350

4695

3743

15470

Note: The figures quoted have been derived from internal management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.