§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from Sri Lanka have applied for asylum in each of the past five years; and how their applications have been dealt with.
§ Mr. Charles WardleInformation covering the years 1989–1993, for applications for asylum from Sri Lankan nationals and on decisions made is given in the table.
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Decisions1 and applications received for asylum in the United Kingdom from Sri Lankan nationals, excluding dependants, by type, 1989 to 1993 Number of principal applicants Decisions2 Refusals Year Total applications received Total decisions Recognised as refugee and granted asylum Not recognized as refugee but granted exceptional leave3 Total refused Refused asylum and exceptional leave after full consideration Refused on safe third country grounds4 Refused under para. 180F of Immigration Rules5 19896 1,790 880 10 840 30 30 — — 19906 3,330 475 15 455 5 5 — — 19916 3,765 765 20 730 20 15 5 — 199267 2,085 4,520 40 4,265 215 10 50 150 199367 1,965 2,690 10 2,420 260 95 120 45 1Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period. 2 Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. 3Where it would have been unreasonable or impracticable to seek to enforce return to country of origin. Usually granted for a year in the first instance, subject then to further review. 4Figures from 1 January 1991 only. Prior to this, these refusals are included in the column "Refused asylum and exceptional leave after full consideration". 5Paragraph 101 prior to 26 July 1993. For failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to invitation to interview to establish identity. Figures from 1 December 1991 only. Prior to this, these refusals are included in the column "Refused asylum and exceptional leave after full consideration". 6Figures rounded to the nearest five. 7Provisonal figures.
§ Mr. FraserTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the average length of time has been between the refusal of an application for asylum on the basis that there is a safe third country to which the applicant may be sent and the removal of the applicant from the United Kingdom;
(2) what has been the average length of time for the consideration of an asylum application which has been refused on the basis that the applicant travelled through a safe third country where the application could have been made since the coming into force of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993;
(3) what have been the average lengths of time for a substantive consideration of an asylum application in respect of all decisions reached after the coming into force of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThe estimated average length of time between the receipt of an asylum application and the decision, for cases decided on applications for asylum received since the introduction of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993–26 July 1993 to 30 June 1994—was 3.6 months. Of this, the estimated average length of time for refusals on safe third country grounds was nearly half a month. The figure of 3.6 months reflects the priority that has been given to cases received after the implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 on 26 July 1993, with the aim of resolving the majority of cases within three months.
Information on the average length of time between the refusal of an application on safe third country grounds and the applicants' subsequent removal would be available only at disproportionate costs.