§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanRussian citizens Boris Abramovich Berezovsky and Akhmed Iliasovich Zakayev were granted asylum in the UK last year, as is public knowledge.
The grant of asylum to these two persons was made after due assessment by the relevant authorities of their cases and of the UK's obligations under the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees and domestic law. They did not enter the UK at the invitation of Her Majesty's Government. A grant of asylum does not imply support from the UK Government for an individual's views, activities or statements.
We take very seriously the requirement for any person granted asylum in the UK to comply with the conditions of the UN convention under which refugees are recognised, and with the provisions of UK law. Recipients of asylum receive cautions not to take part in criminal activities, or activities such as support for or encouragement of terrorist organisations, or activities endangering national security or public order. Where individuals granted asylum breach these conditions we would not hesitate to take action against them and have strengthened the law to enable us to do so more effectively.