§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the circumstances of refusal of entry to Mr. Mostafa Rahimi at Heathrow airport on 6 December;
(2) if he will make a statement on the circumstances surrounding the detention of Mr. Mostafa Rahimi in Singapore after 6 December and the discussions there have been with the Government of Singapore in respect of this case;
(3) what agreements were reached with (a) Quantas and (b) the Australian high commission immigration office prior to the placing of Mr. Mostafa Rahimi on flight QF010 on 6 December; and if he will make a statement;
(4) what representations he has (a) received from and (b) made to the Australian Government concerning the case of Mr. Mostafa Rahimi; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter Lloyd[holding answer 19 December 1990]: Mr. Rahimi arrived on 2 December in transit from Australia whence he was being deported to Iran by the Australian authorities, and sought asylum. The case had been the subject of an approach from the Australian immigration service. We understood from them that deportation via London was the only practicable route in the circumstances. On Mr. Rahimi's arrival in London his application for asylum was not therefore considered by the asylum division since he could be returned to Australia as a safe third country in accordance with the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 25 July 1990—a policy understood and accepted by the Australian authorities before agreement to route Mr. Rahimi through London was given. He was refused entry on 5 December under the immigration rules, and directions were give to Qantas 335W Airways Ltd. to return him to Melbourne. A Qantas representative gave written and oral undertakings to the immigration officer at terminal 3 that Mr. Rahimi would be removed to Australia in accordance with the directions given under the Immigration Act. An officer of the Australian High Commission in London was aware of this arrangement. When, however, the aircraft returning Mr. Rahimi to Australia arrived in Singapore I understand that he was removed from the aircraft on the direction of an official of the Australian High Commission there and subsequently removed to Iran.
We have had no discussions with the Government of Singapore. The immigration service was informed of events in Singapore by a Qantas representative and immediately informed Mr. Rahimi's solicitors. The chief inspector of the immigration service wrote to the Australian authorities seeking urgent clarification. A reply from the Australian Government has been received which states that Mr. Rahimi was removed to Iran because his application for asylum in Australia had already been fully considered and rejected.