§ Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the persons who arrived in the United Kingdom on the hijacked Afghan airliner(a) have claimed asylum, (b) have been granted refugee status including as dependants, (c) have been granted exceptional leave to remain, (d) have had their claims refused, (e) have appealed against a refusal of their claim, (f) have remained in the United Kingdom, (g) have 518W been removed to Afghanistan and (h) have been removed to a third country; and if he will make a statement. [121990]
§ Mr. StrawOf those persons who arrived on the hijacked Afghan airliner 79 have claimed asylum; eight passengers and six dependants have been granted asylum but no-one has been granted exceptional leave to remain; 37 have been refused asylum, of which five are dependants; all those who were refused have appealed; none have remained in this country without permission; and no-one has yet been removed to Afghanistan or to another third country. However, 81 of those on the aeroplane have now left this country voluntarily. Twelve individuals are the subject of criminal charges in relation to the hijacking.
Consideration of further action will be given as soon as the outcome of the outstanding appeals is known.