Hansard

Sri Lanka: Asylum Seekers

Volume 696: debated on Wednesday 14 November 2007

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The Earl of Sandwich

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will comply with the latest request from the European Court of Human Rights dated 20 October not to return Tamil asylum seekers to Sri Lanka owing to the current security situation there. [HL50]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office
(Lord West of Spithead)

The Government responded to the request from the European Court of Human Rights on 31 October 2007 stating that we do not consider that the current situation in Sri Lanka warrants the suspension of removal directions to all Sri Lankan Tamils but we will continue to suspend removal in individual cases where the European Court has issued a Rule 39 indication.

We continue to carefully assess each case on its individual circumstances taking into account relevant case law and the current situation in Sri Lanka before a decision is made to remove from the United Kingdom.