To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what efforts are currently being undertaken by his Department to ensure that families of Bosnian refugees are entitled to join refugees who have settled within the United Kingdom.
Spouses and minor children are admitted to join those recognised as refugees under the terms of the 1951 convention on the status of refugees. In such cases Bosnian family members would need first to obtain visas from a British diplomatic post. Close dependants are also admitted to join former detention camp inmates evacuated to the United Kingdom, and we are in close liaison with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross to facilitate their entry.In common with all other nationalities, Bosnian asylum applicants may not bring their families here while their applications are under consideration.
| Applications1 received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, and decisions2, 1987 to 1992 | ||||||
| Number of principal applicants | ||||||
| 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | |
| Total applications received | 4,256 | 3,998 | 11,640 | 22,000 | 44,840 | 24,610 |
| Decisions2 | ||||||
| Total decisions | 2,432 | 2,702 | 6,955 | 4,015 | 5,965 | 34,900 |
| Recognised as refugee and granted asylum3 | 266 | 628 | 2,210 | 900 | 505 | 1,115 |
| Not recognised as refugee, but granted exceptional leave4 | 1,531 | 1,578 | 3,860 | 2,400 | 2,230 | 15,325 |
| Refusals | ||||||
| Total refused | 635 | 496 | 890 | 710 | 3,240 | 18,465 |
| Refused asylum and exceptional leave after full consideration | 635 | 496 | 890 | 710 | 2,185 | 2,680 |
| Refused on safe third country grounds5 | — | — | — | — | 270 | 595 |
| Refused under paragraph 101 of Immigration Rules6 | — | — | — | — | 785 | 15,195 |
| 1 Includes applications made at ports on arrival and those made in-country. | ||||||
| 2 Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period. | ||||||
| 3 Excluding South East Asian refugees. | ||||||
| 4 Where it would have been unreasonable or impractical to seek to enforce return to country of origin. | ||||||
| 5 Figures from 1 January 1991 only. Prior to this, these refusals are included in the column "Refused asylum and exceptional leave after full consideration". | ||||||
| 6 For failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period, including failure to respond to two invitations to interview to establish identity. | ||||||
| 7 Figures from 1 December 1991 only. Prior to this, these refusals are included in the column "Refused asylum and exceptional leave after full consideration". | ||||||