§ Mr. Ancramasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has information through the United Nations as to the number of people who have become refugees as a result of events leading up to the present critical state of affairs in Iran; and what steps, if any, his Department has taken through the United Nations to bring international pressure to bear on Iran to relieve the situation.
§ Mr. HurdThe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees does not collate statistics on refugees from Iran. Nor are accurate figures available elsewhere. In 1981 409W the Home Office received 1,589 applications from Iranians for political asylum in the United Kingdom; 1,216 applications were granted. We and our partners have made clear to the Iranian authorities our concern at reports on human rights violations in Iran. The United Nations Secretary-General will be submitting a report on human rights in Iran at the next session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.