Vol. 430 No. 2
138 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice the current status of the families residing in this State who came from Bosnia in 1992; whether any of them have applied for refugee status and political asylum; and whether, if such applications are made, political asylum will be granted.
Persons from the former Yugoslavia admitted to the State in accordance with a Government decision last year were granted temporary protection status with the full rights of refugees. Every application for refugee status and political asylum is considered on an individual basis in accordance with the procedures in this area agreed in 1985 with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It is not the practice, in accordance with the spirit of those agreed procedures, to disclose publicly whether or not identifiable persons have applied for political ayslum.
