HL Deb 20 March 2001 vol 623 cc154-5WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have prescribed a list of safe countries of origin to be used by the members of the Immigration Service in determining applications for asylum; and, if so, whether they will publish the list. [HL1181]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

There is no list of safe countries of origin used in determining applications for asylum. Each asylum claim is considered on its individual merits.

The former "white list" of designated countries was abolished on 2 October 2000, when Part IV of, and Schedule 4 to, the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 came into force. This was part of a wider package of far-reaching reforms to the appeal process in the 1999 Act.