§ Mr. DarlingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Tamil asylum seekers have been returned to Sri Lanka after being refused asylum in the United Kingdom since February 1988; and what efforts he has made to monitor the situation of those returned from the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. RentonNo distinction is made in statistical records between Tamils and other Sri Lankans. Removals and deportations of failed asylum seekers are not normally recorded separately. However, it is known that 47 Sri Lankans who sought asylum at ports have been removed to Sri Lanka since 1 February 1988. Additionally, in the 139W same period 28 Sri Lankans have been removed as illegal entrants and seven have been deported. Most of these applied for asylum and were refused after consideration of their application. Information on passengers refused entry and removed, as illegal entrants or as deportees, is published annually in "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom". The 1988 volume will be published in the summer.
On monitoring, I refer the hon. Member to a reply I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 15 March, at column 232.