§ 14. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies approximately the number or proportion of the inhabitants of Aden Colony who came from the Yemen or are classified as Yemeni; what are the regulations controlling the passage of travellers to and from the Yemen; what restrictions there are on the transit of persons from or to the Protectorate; and to what extent the question of transit in respect of both the Protectorate and the Yemen is being considered in deliberations on Protectorate federation.
§ Mr. ProfumoAt the 1955 census there were 47,000 Yemeni out of a total population of 138,000.
The Immigration Ordinance provides for control over the entry into the Colony of all travellers, but it is impracticable to regulate the entry of all travellers—including those from the Yemen—coming in over the land frontiers, In practice, therefore, there are no restrictions imposed by the Aden Colony and Protectorate Governments on the transit of persons back and forth between the Colony, the Protectorate and the Yemen. The Governor does not recommend, in present circumstances, any changes in this policy. This question has not arisen in discussions about the formation of the Federation of Protectorate States.
§ Mr. SorensenIn view of this extraordinarily free transit between the Yemen on the one hand and the Aden Colony and Protectorate on the other, do not all attempts to try to interfere with the inter-flow of persons both ways seem farcical? May I ask how long it takes before a Yemeni can claim to have resided long enough to attain Aden Colony citizenship?
§ Mr. ProfumoI am afraid I must ask for notice of the second part of the hon. Member's supplementary question, but what he said in the first part is in accord with what I said in the first part of my Answer.