§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many Sri Lankan Tamils currently in the United Kingdom have not yet been notified of their status; and if he will break down the figures for those arriving before and after the passing of the Immigration Appeals Act 1993;
(2) how many Sri Lankan Tamils who have fled Sri Lanka have been held in detention centres (a) since the passing of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1993 and (b) since 1990 and before the passing of that Act.
§ Mr. Charles WardleInformation on Sri Lankan Tamils are not separately indentifiable in the statistics. Considering all Sri Lankan nationals as at 30 June 1994, an estimated 2,680 are awaiting an initial decision on their application for asylum. Of this, an estimated 860 applied for asylum after the introduction of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993.
The number of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka being detained on 11 July 1994 is 22. Of these detainees, none entered detention before the implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 on 26 July 1993.