NEW DELHI(PTI):A few British asylum and Immigration appeals act denying the right of appeal to those refused entry clearance as short-term visitors or students will come into force on July 26.
Senior British high commission officials told newspersons that the act would not affect the flow of genuine visitors to U.K. Citing statistics in their support, the officials said 82% of applicants in New Delhi were granted visas last year and 86% between January and May this year.
The British government, they said, did not want to reduce the number of genuine visitors and students.
They also said that appeal rights were not being withdrawn for those applying to settle in the U.K. or for those applying to stay for longer than six months.
Referring to the surge in the number of applications for political asylum, the officials said the new act provided powers to deal speedily with fraudulent cases and thus benefit genuine applicants.
Officials said some 21,000 appeals were awaiting hearing in the U.K. against denial of entry clearance as short-term visitors or students as it was usually a year before an appeal was heard.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 30, 1993
