Iraq (Asylum Applicants)

Answer: I can only repeat what I said in my previous answer. All cases that are deemed ready for enforced returns are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, regardless of the circumstances and regardless of the country. Rather than narrowing that down to particular segments of the failed asylum seeker community as the hon. Gentleman suggests, I would prefer to keep it at the level at which the personal circumstances and the circumstances of the country for that individual, on a case-by-case basis, must be paramount. I repeat, however, as I said last week, that it must be in everyone's interest that when people, for whatever reason, fail in their application for asylum, we must collectively do all that we can to ensure voluntary rather than enforced returns.

This is an answer to the Oral question asked on Monday, 16 January 2006 by Stewart Hosie (Scottish National Party).

Question: I welcome the Minister's commitment to a case-by-case review of the forced return of failed asylum seekers to parts of Iraq deemed to be safe. Given the deep anxiety not just about that but about removal of asylum seeker families with children to many countries that, though nominally safe, are in reality in turmoil, with large amounts of violent civil conflict, will the Minister give a commitment to a case-by-case review of the forced return of asylum seekers with families to places such as Congo and Sudan as well as to Iraq?

Secondary information