§ Lord AVEBURYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why Mr. Carlos Reyes Manso was not put in touch with either the Refugee Counsellor of the United Kingdom Immigrants' Advisory Service or the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, when he claimed to be a refugee at Heathrow Airport, but only managed to contact these agencies as a result of an approach he made to his employers, the Spanish News Agency EFE, more than 48 hours after his arrival.
§ Lord BELSTEADMr. Reyes originally claimed to be in transit to Spain. When his claim to asylum was subsequently made, following the refusal of leave to enter and the serving of directions for removal to Panama, removal was suspended, an initial asylum examination was completed and the facts reported to the Home Office. Contact between the office of the London representative of UNHCR and the Home Office was established once the report had been studied. There was, however, a delay in the receipt of the port message in the Refugee Unit.