§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there has been an increase in the percentage of refusals for those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom between 1992–93 and 1994, if so what that increase is, and whether they have changed the criteria used for assessing applications by those seeking asylum.
§ Baroness BlatchThe total percentage of applicants refused asylum, including those not recognised as refugees but granted exceptional leave, has been 97 per cent. in 1992, 94 per cent. in 1993, and 96 per cent. in 1994.
All applications for asylum throughout this period have been considered, as now, against the criteria for recognition as a refugee set out in the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. There has been no change in the criteria for granting asylum. Since the implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993, grants of exceptional leave have been limited to cases where there are genuine humanitarian factors.