HL Deb 05 November 1998 vol 594 c64WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they consider that Article 31 of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees recognises that there may be justification for the use of false travel documents and irregular entry, since a person fleeing human rights violations may need to resort to false documents to leave the country of origin and to travel to another country. [HL3615]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

There may be circumstances when asylum seekers would need to use false travel documents in order to leave their country. However, once they have left, there should normally be no legitimate reason for their seeking to deceive the immigration officer into believing that the document is valid. All asylum applications, including those made by illegal entrants, are considered on their merits in accordance with the criteria set out in the 1951 convention.