Asylum/Immigration Harry Cohen To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on returning Tamil asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Byrne All asylum and human rights applications from Tamils are considered by the Home Office on their individual merits, in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and against the background of the latest available objective country of origin information. In common with other failed asylum seekers, Tamils found not to be in need of international protection after consideration of their case, and who have exhausted any appeal rights they might have within the UK, are expected to leave the UK and may have their removal enforced. Mr. Evennett To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the nationalities were of applicants for leave to remain in the UK in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. Mr. Byrne The requested information is contained in the lists. In-country applications for all leave to remain categories in the UK by nationality for the following dates: 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belize Benin Bolivia Bosnia-Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Citizen British National (Overseas) British Overseas Citizen Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia (Kampuchea) Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China (Peoples Republic of China) Colombia Congo Congo Democratic Republic Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus (excluding Turkish Republic of North Cyprus) Czech Republic Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Fiji Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Honduras Hong Kong SAR of China (Holder of Certificate of Identity or Document of Identity) Hong Kong SAR of China (Holder of Special Administrative Region Passport) Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Italy Ivory Coast (Cote D’Ivôire) Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Korea (North) Korea (South) Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya (Arab Republic) Lithuania Macau Macedonia (former Yugoslav Republic of) Madagascar (Malagasy Republic) Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nationality currently unknown Nationality unknown officially designated as Stateless Nauru Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Oman Pakistan Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Samoa Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan Surinam Swaziland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Nations Other United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Yugoslavia Zambia Zimbabwe 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belize Benin Bolivia Bosnia-Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Citizen British National (Overseas) British Overseas Citizen Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia (Kampuchea) Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Chad Chile China (Peoples Republic of China) Colombia Congo Congo Democratic Republic Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus (excluding Turkish Republic of North Cyprus) Czech Republic Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Fiji Gabon Gambia Georgia Ghana Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Honduras Hong Kong SAR of China (Holder of Certificate of Identity or Document of Identity) Hong Kong SAR of China (Holder of Special Administrative Region Passport) Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Italy Ivory Coast (Cote D’Ivôire) Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Korea (North) Korea (South) Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya (Arab Republic) Lithuania Macau Macedonia (former Yugoslav Republic of) Madagascar (Malagasy Republic) Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nationality currently unknown Nationality unknown officially designated as Stateless Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Oman Pakistan Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Samoa Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Sri Lanka Stateless Refugee—Defined 1951 Convention St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan Swaziland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Yugoslavia Zambia Zimbabwe Source: Business Objects refreshed 18 October 2006 The information contained in the lists refers to main applicants only, not their dependants and is based on figures being rounded up to the nearest 10. This information has not been quality assured, is not a National Statistic and should be treated as provisional management information. Mr. Clappison To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what power his proposed advisory group on immigration will have to recommend limits on the issuing of work permits under the proposed points-based system for migration; whether the issuing of work permits will be affected in any other way by his proposed advisory group; and what plans he has to change the proposals contained in “Controlling our Borders: Making Migration Work for Britain”. Mr. Byrne We will consult shortly on the establishment of a Migration Advisory Committee, which would advise Government on where in the economy migration might sensibly fill skills gaps. We will make clear when we consult on the committee what we think its remit should be, including how it relates to the proposals for a skills advisory body set out in “Controlling our Borders: Making Migration Work for Britain”. Harry Cohen To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases there are where the time period for exceptional leave to remain (ELR) has expired, an application for indefinite leave to remain has been made prior to the expiry of the ELR, but where the application has not yet been determined; what the average length of time was to reach a decision upon such an application in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. Mr. Byrne The information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained by examination of individual records only at a disproportionate cost.