Afghan asylum seekers to appeal

Most still want to stay - BBC

More than 20 asylum seekers from last month's Stansted hijack are to appeal against the Home Secretary's decision to stop them staying in the UK.

Last month, Jack Straw ruled only eight people applying for asylum should be allowed to stay in Britain.

Twenty-seven others had their claims rejected.

It is thought almost all of them will now appeal against that decision.

The Immigration Advisory Service is dealing with 10 appeals and the Refugee Legal Centre is dealing with another 10.

There are also private appeals being taken out against the Home Secretary's decision.

Seventy-three passengers returned home to Afghanistan voluntarily last month.

The pilots of the Ariana Boeing 727 stayed in Britain until eight days ago, when their plane was serviced and flown home.

Rejection

Last month Mr Straw rejected most of the claims saying he was not satisfied the claimants had a "well-founded fear of persecution" if they returned to Afghanistan.

He said: "The public interest in deterring future hijacks for the purposes of claiming asylum is a very strong one and, therefore, I have decided that they should not be given permission to stay in this country."

The home secretary had granted refugee status in two cases, with the wife of one claimant also allowed to enter the UK along with five children.

In all Jack Straw postponed decisions on 14 of the claims. Six of them because they were made by relatives of those charged in relation to the hijacking and Mr Straw was advised that ruling on their claims could prejudice future trials.

Eight further cases have been postponed while further information is sought, including two where Mr Straw is waiting on information from the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture.