HC Deb 28 October 1998 vol 318 cc180-1W
Mr. Laurence Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy towards those from Kosovo seeking asylum. [56563]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

All claims for asylum from citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including those from the province of Kosovo, are considered on their merits within the terms of the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. Consideration takes into account the latest information and advice on the country situation from a range of sources, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Where an application for asylum is refused, consideration is given to granting leave to remain exceptionally outside the Immigration Rules on humanitarian grounds. We have not recently returned to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia any ethnic Albanians who have been refused asylum here.

Applications and decisions for the period January to September 1998 inclusive are set out in the table. The statistical return does not differentiate between citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by ethnicity.

Asylum applications1 received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, and decisions on application, 1998 by month, nationals of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Applications Decisions
Port In-country Total Grants of asylum Exceptional leave to enter/remain Refusal2,3 Total
January 185 90 270 120 align="right">* * 125
February 175 100 270 95 * 10 105
March 185 95 280 100 15 * 115
April 240 145 385 100 20 5 125
May 180 135 315 120 10 — 130
June 290 390 680 110 5 5 120
July 225 620 845 50 20 10 80
August 335 575 905 50 0 10 60
September 300 570 870 40 0 30 70
Total 2,110 2,715 4,825 790 75 70 930
1 Figures rounded to nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2
2 Includes Non-compliance refusals (Paragraph 340 of Immigration Rules. For failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to invitation to interview)
3 Includes Third Country decisions (Refused on the grounds that the applicant had arrived from a safe third country)

Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum cases were awaiting decision(a) on 1 May 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [56166]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

As at 30 April 1997, there were 54,020 applications for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, awaiting an initial decision. The figure fell to 50,950 in March 1998. As at the end of September 1998, it stood at 57,545.

This partly reflects increases in asylum applications from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and the Slovak Republic.

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