HC Deb 05 March 1906 vol 153 cc74-5
MR. LEVY (Leicestershire, Loughborough)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that five aliens who arrived in London on 29th January, per steamship "Sperber," and who had tickets for America, Canada, or the Argentine, which had been purchased for them in England, were rejected and returned on that account, although each could show at least £5; and whether he will take steps to prevent such an administration of the Aliens Act in similar circumstances in the future.

(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) I can identify three such cases. Inquiry showed that in all of these the tickets had been taken by persons not connected with, and having no authority to act on behalf of or to control the aliens. In one of the two cases for America, the alien, who stated that he had had no intention of going there, would certainly have been rejected there for organic heart disease and returned to this country. In the other case, the alien said that he did not wish to go to America. In the case for the Argentine, the alien did not want to go, and there was no certainty that he would do so. In all three cases the aliens were undesirable within the meaning of the Act. In a fourth case the alien said he wished to go to America, but had no ticket. He suffered from diseases which would certainly have caused his rejection in America, and return to this country with the probability of becoming chargeable on the rates.