In response to a question, raised by a UK Parliamentarian, Home Office Minister Baron Taylor told UK Parliament on Friday that for the five year period 2008 — 2012, there were 7,445 asylum applications recorded from Sri Lankan nationals (not including dependants) of which 845 were made at a port of entry and 6,600 were made in-country. A further 1388 asylum applications from Sri Lankan nationals have been recorded between January — September 2013; 160 at a port of entry and 1,228 in-country.

“In terms of access to the UK, many asylum seekers from Sri Lanka enter holding a visa to either study in the UK or to be a visitor here while others enter clandestinely or with forged documents. None receive a visa for entry to the UK as an asylum seeker. As a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the UK fully considers all asylum applications lodged in the UK, but there is no obligation to consider asylum applications lodged abroad. Therefore no provision exists in the Immigration Rules for someone abroad to be given a visa permission to travel to the UK to seek asylum,” he said.