§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) which United Kingdom posts in Bosnia are able to supply visa application forms to Bosnian nationals wishing to visit the United Kingdom; and what delay there is between a post receiving such applications and decisions being taken;
(2) how many British officials are present at United Kingdom posts in Bosnia dealing with those applying for visas to visit the United Kingdom; how many interpreters are available to assist at interviews; and in what languages application forms and guidance notes are printed.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThere is no British post in Bosnia.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been authorised to issue visas on behalf of the United Kingdom to Bosnian nationals wishing to visit the United Kingdom; what documentation is required by UNHCR before visas are issued; how many applicants have(a) been granted visas to date, (b) been refused visas to date and (c) appealed against refusal of visas.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydUNHCR has not been authorised to issue United Kingdom visas.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are being made to send humanitarian relief by air to those parts of Bosnia difficult to supply by road.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggLack of airfields and security risks make delivering supplies by air impractical. With the onset of winter UNHCR is concentrating its efforts on supplying humanitarian relief by road. UNPROFOR's mandate was extended by United Nations Security Council resolution 776 to protect road convoys, a more effective way to distribute relief. The Sarajevo airlift continues and has delivered over 17,500 tonnes of aid.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications have 81W so far been made by Bosnian nationals, or other residents of Bosnia, to visit the United Kingdom, to date; how many applications have (a) been granted, (b) been refused and (c) how many people have applied to appeal against refusal.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe British consulate general in Milan has received three applications. All were granted. The British embassy in Vienna arranged with the Home Office on 7 November for 115 Bosnians, who had started their journey before the imposition of the visa regime, to enter the United Kingdom without visas. The embassy subsequently referred 183 visa applications from people currently on the Austro-Slovenian border to the Home Office on 13 November. These and our other posts in the region have received a number of telephone inquiries.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what documentation Bosnian nationals are required to submit when applying for visas to visit the United Kingdom; and what evidence of support, maintenance and accommodation in the United Kingdom is required.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThere are no requirements specific to Bosnian nationals. All applicants for visas to visit the United Kingdom have to complete an application form, provide two photographs and pay the appropriate fee. There are no documents which must be presented in support of visa applications. However, in order to satisfy themselves that applicants qualify under the immigration rules, entry clearance officers may ask to see evidence of an applicant's financial standing and funds for the visit, or evidence that a United Kingdom sponsor can and will support and accommodate the applicant during the visit; or evidence of any firm travel plans made, and if appropriate, evidence that the applicant has leave of absence from an employer, and will leave the United Kingdom before the expiry of the period which s/he has been admitted.