§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people from Bosnia have sought refugee status; and how many have been granted this in each year since 1992;
(2) how many people from Bosnia are currently living in the United Kingdom because of insecurity in their homeland; and if he will give a breakdown of their current status regarding their right to stay.
515W
§ Mr. Charles Wardle[holding answers 19 April 1994]: The available information on asylum applications by nationals of the former Yugoslavia, and on decisions made, for the period 1 January 1992 to 31 March 1994 are given in the attached table; data for Bosnians are not separately identifiable in the statistics. The large majority of applications made in the period are under consideration and the applicants are being allowed to remain in the meantime.
In addition to consideration of asylum applications, the Government have, under arrangements announced in November 1992 and June 1993, offered to receive 1,000 particularly vulnerable individuals from the former Yugoslavia, and their close dependants, an estimated total of 4,000 people in all. As at 12 April 1994, 626 particularly vulnerable individuals and 849 dependants had arrived under these arrangements. Prior to this, 68 sick and wounded ex-detainees from Bosnia arrived in September 1992.
Decisions1 on applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom from nationals of the former Yugoslavia, excluding dependants, 1 January 1992 to 31 March 1994 Number of principal applicants 1992 1993 January 1994 to March 1994 Asylum applications1 5,635 1,830 390 Decisions2 3 130 180 270 Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum * 55 220 Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain 4 * 55 220 Refusals 125 125 45 Refused asylum and exceptional leave after full consideration — 10 25 Refused under para 180F5 65 80 10 Refused on safe third country grounds6 60 30 5 1Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5 with *=I or 2. 2Figures exclude information on applications made overseas. 3Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the period. 4Usually granted for a year in the first instance, subject then to further review. 5For failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to invitation to interview to establish identity (para. 101 prior to 26 July 1993). 6Refused on the grounds that the applicant had arrived from a safe third country.