§ Mr. TimmsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankan asylum seekers have been granted refugee status or leave to remain in the UK in the past 12 months(a) without the intervention of a special adjudicator and (b) following intervention by a special adjudicator. [17912]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienDuring the period 1 November 1996 to 31 October 1997, a total of 1,900 initial decisions, excluding dependants, were made on asylum applications 51W lodged by Sri Lankan nationals. Of these, 40 were to recognise the applicant as a refugee and grant asylum, 10 were to refuse asylum but grant exceptional leave (to enter/remain in the United Kingdom) and 1,850 were to refuse both asylum and exceptional leave.
Provisional information indicates that, during the same time period, special adjudicators determined approximately 1,140 appeals lodged by Sri Lankan nationals against the refusal of asylum. Of these, an estimated 8 per cent. were allowed, 87 per cent. were dismissed and 5 per cent. were withdrawn.
An allowed appeal does not necessarily result in an automatic grant of refugee status or a grant of exceptional, or other, leave to remain in the United Kingdom. In cases where the allowed appeal relates to an initial refusal of asylum on safe third country grounds, the Asylum Directorate will then usually consider the application substantively—any subsequent, adverse decision attracting a further right of appeal before the special adjudicator. Additionally, in cases where reasonable grounds exist, the Home Office may elect to challenge an adjudicator's determination by lodging an appeal with the Immigration Appeal Tribunal.
I regret that a reliable breakdown of asylum decisions made following appeal determinations is not available.