§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will specify the section of the Dublin Convention which prevents Her Majesty's Government from returning to EU nations illegal immigrants who have come to the United Kingdom from such countries; and if he will make a statement. [37352]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Dublin Convention provides a set of criteria for determining which member state should be responsible for considering an asylum application made in the European Union. Where it can be shown in accordance with these criteria that a member state other than the one where the application was made is responsible for considering the application, the applicant may duly be returned to that member state. In all other circumstances, Article 8 of the Convention provides that the first member state with which the application for asylum is lodged shall be responsible for considering it.
The Dublin Convention has made the return of asylum seekers to European Union member states a more complex and time-consuming process. In particular, it is often difficult to obtain sufficient evidence to show that another member state is responsible for an application according to the criteria in the Convention. As Presidency of the European Union, we are taking forward a range of measures designed to improve the operation of the Convention.
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has introduced to prevent illegal entry to the United Kingdom of persons travelling on Eurostar. [36998]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienForeign nationals travelling on Eurostar services are subject to examination by United Kingdom Immigration Officers. We liaise with French and Belgian authorities to ensure that this control is effective, and are currently examining with Eurostar and both French and Belgian authorities ways of ensuring that document checks in both Paris and Brussels are carried out as effectively as possible.