§ Mr. ParryTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the use of DNA examinations in Somalia for proposed entrants to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydSomalis applying for entry clearance as dependants of those settled in the United Kingdom are eligible for DNA testing in the same way as other nationals. DNA tests will be offered free of charge, under the Government-sponsored scheme, to first-time262W applicants where the entry clearance officer has doubts about the claimed relationship at the time of the application. In 1993, 19 DNA tests were conducted in Addis Ababa on Somalis applying to join family in the United Kingdom for settlement, and seven in Nairobi.
The British embassy in Mogadishu is temporarily closed.