HC Deb 01 November 1994 vol 248 cc1064-5W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankan Tamils(a) have applied for and (b) have been granted political asylum in the United Kingdom since 1 January.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

Information on Sri Lankan Tamils are not separately identifiable in the statistics. The table gives information for the period 1 January 1994 to 30 September 1994 on the number of applications for asylum from nationals of Sri Lanka and decisions made.

Decisions1 on applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, from Sri Lankan nationals, 1 January 1994–30 September 1994
Number of principal applicants
Asylum applications2 1,835
Decisions2 3 815
Recognised as a refugee and granted asylum 10
Decisions1 on applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, from Sri Lankan nationals, 1 January 1994–30 September 1994
Number of principal applicants
Not recognised as a refugee but granted exceptional leave to remain4 65
Refused asylum and ELR—after full consideration 615
Refused under para 180F5 65
Refused on safe third country grounds6 60
1Provisional figures rounded to the nearest 5.
2Figures exclude information on applications made overseas.
3Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in 1994.
4Usually granted for a year in the first instance, subject then to further review.
5For failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to invitation to interview to establish identity.
6Refused on the grounds that the applicant had arrived from a safe third country.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankan Tamils have been deported from the United Kingdom since 1 January.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

Two Sri Lankan citizens were removed from the United Kingdom under the deportation process in the period January to September 1994. No distinction is made in statistical records between Tamils and other Sri Lankans.

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