Asylum Seekers
Home Department
Written answers and statements, 3 November 2009
Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether enforced returns were suspended for any period of time for nationals or particular groups of nationals from (a) Iraq, (b) Somalia, (c) Eritrea, (d) Democratic Republic of Congo, (e) Afghanistan and (f) Iran between 2000 and 2009.
Phil Woolas (Minister of State (the North West), Home Office; Oldham East & Saddleworth, Labour)
The following information covers situations where there was a policy to suspend enforced returns and situations where there was a policy to grant Exceptional Leave to Remain (ELR) to all nationals of a particular country, or part of it, who did not qualify for asylum and which was an effective suspension of returns of failed asylum seekers.
There was an effective suspension of enforced returns to all of Iraq from before 2000 until October 2000. From October 2000 until February 2003 returns to central and southern Iraq were suspended. From February 2003 enforced returns to all of Iraq were again suspended. On 24 February 2004 the Home Secretary announced that enforced returns to Iraq were to resume.
There was an effective suspension of enforced returns to the whole of Somalia since before 2000 until July 2001. From July 2001 until October 2002 the policy was varied enabling return of those from the Somaliland and Puntland regions of Somalia. There has been no suspension of enforced returns to any part of Somalia since 7 October 2002.
Enforced returns to Eritrea have not been suspended in this period.
Enforced returns to the Democratic Republic of Congo were suspended from 23 August 2007 until 3 December 2008 pending the outcome of litigation.
There was an effective suspension of enforced returns to Afghanistan from before 2000 until 11 July 2002. There has been no suspension of enforced returns since that date.
Enforced returns to Iran have not been suspended in this period.
