§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Tamils(a) have applied for political asylum in the United Kingdom, (b) are on temporary admission, (c) have been granted exceptional leave to remain and (d) have been returned to Sri Lanka in the last 15 months.
§ Mr. RentonNo distinction is made in statistical records between Tamils and other Sri Lankans. During the 15 months up to 30 September 1988, which is the most recent date for which these statistics are available, 341 Sri Lankans. applied for asylum in the United Kingdom. During the same period 257 Sri Lankans were granted exceptional leave to remain. There are no central records of numbers temporarily admitted, but at any one time only a small minority of those with outstanding asylum applications are detained. Removals and deportations of failed asylum seekers are not normally recorded separately. However, it is known that 45 Sri Lankans who sought asylum at ports have been removed since 1 January 1988. Additionally in the same period 26 Sri Lankans have234W been removed as illegal entrants and seven have been deported: most of these applied for asylum and were refused, after consideration of their applications.
Annual information, by nationality, on applications for asylum and decisions taken is published in a statistical bulletin. The 1988 bulletin will be published during the summer of 1989. Information on passengers refused entry and removed, on illegal entry and on deportation is published annually in "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom". The 1988 volume will also be published in the summer.
§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there has been any monitoring by Her Majesty's Government of the safety of Tamils forcibly returned to Sri Lanka since the beginning of 1988; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonNo. Asylum applicants are returned to their own country only after it has been decided that they are not refugees under the 1951 convention and that it would not be right to grant them exceptional leave. In such circumstances, as with any person in breach of immigration control whose departure we enforce, their safety becomes a matter for their own Government.