LONDONDERRY (Ireland), Dec 8: More than 600 Pakistanis applied for asylum in the UK between July and September on various grounds, including allegations of inhumane treatment by Pakistan government, the official statistics released by the British Home Office show.

According to the statistics for the asylum seekers issued by the British Home Office, 555 Pakistanis, out of the total 600 applicants, were refused asylum during the third quarter of the year between July and September.

Out of the accepted applicants, the British government granted asylum to 30 Pakistanis as refugees and allowed 15 exceptional leave to remain in the UK.

Exceptional leave to remain is granted to persons who do not qualify for asylum but might face inhumane treatment if returned home, the document said.

Compared to this, the data shows that during 2001, a total of 4,285 persons applied for asylum. Out of these, UK recognized 220 Pakistanis as refugees and granted them asylum. Another 120 were not recognized as refugees but were granted exceptional leave to remain in the UK while a total of 3,940 were refused asylum.

As of Sept 28, the British Home Office document shows, 115 Pakistanis were under detention solely under the Immigration Act powers.

According to the document, at the end of September, a total of 1,445 persons who had sought asylum at some stage, were being detained in the UK. This excludes persons detained in police cells and persons detained under dual immigration and other powers.

Asylum detainees constituted 81 per cent of all Immigration Act detainees.

The largest individual nationalities among asylum detainees were Czech (115), Turkish (110), Pakistani (100), Nigerian (95), and Indian (85). Asylum seekers from Europe made 41 per cent of the total detainees.

Excluding persons held at Oakington, 35 per cent of asylum detainees had been in detention for less than one month, 20 per cent for between one and two months, 21 per cent for between two and four months, and 24 per cent for four months or more.

Ranking 5th in the list of the top 10 nationalities removed from UK during the 2nd quarter of 2002, the data shows that 550 Pakistanis were removed during the period April to June.

In a strong message issued to the intending asylum seekers, the Home Office warned that people refused asylum would no longer be allowed to stay in UK on the basis of existing family links, or that they had settled and had children or had enrolled on a course at college.