§ Mr. CROFTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Deartment, whether he proposes to recommend legislation to prevent the landing of aliens in the United Kingdom unless they are provided with means of subsistence?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLSection 1 (3) (a) of the Aliens Act,1905, already provides that an immigrant shall be considered an undesirable immigrant if he cannot show that he has in his possession or is in a position to obtain the means of decently supporting himself. I do not propose to recommend further legislation on this point.
§ Mr. CROFTWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the desirability of introducing a Bill which will insist that aliens coming into the country shall pay something on landing which shall be returned on their remaining twelve months in the country?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI understand there is an Amendment on the subject, and I think it would be wrong for me to discuss the general question now.
§ Mr. CROFTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many aliens landed in the United Kingdom during the year 1910.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLAccording to the returns received the number of aliens who entered the United Kingdom in 1910 was 610,776, the number who left the United Kingdom 597,506, and the difference 277 between the two is 12,270. These figures include, of course, visitors, transmigrants, sailors, and many other persons who are not immigrants, and they are necessarily subject to numerous corrections and qualifications.
Captain FABERasked if the right hon. Gentleman would state whether, during the last half of last century, the proportion of criminals decreased, and during this century has seriously increased; whether this is traceable to the greater number of aliens who come into this country; and whether he proposes to make the law stricter concerning aliens, seeing that 53,000 more entered in 1910 than in 1909, and that the refusals to allow landing fell from 1,340 to 920 in those years?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI cannot deal with the first point within the limits of an answer, but whether crime has increased or diminished during the last few years it is clear that the number of aliens who come to this country does not sensibly affect the matter, if the point is tested by comparing the number of aliens received in prison on conviction with the number of all convicted prisoners in England and Wales. The highest proportion ever borne by the aliens to the total was no more than 2.22 per cent. That was in 1904. Since then the numbers of alien prisoners have decreased by more than a half, and their proportion to the total is for the year 1910 about 1.20 per cent. The figures given in the last paragraph afford in themselves no ground for making the law stricter. The number 53,000 includes an increase of 22,000 transmigrants who go straight through the country and takes no account of the numbers of other aliens who leave the country. The decrease as between 1909 and 1910 in refusals of leave to land is due to the fact that the total for 1909 was swollen by the rejection of large batches of Armenians and Syrians who were suffering from trachoma. A considerable traffic in these persons was developing, but it has now been checked if not wholly stopped.
Captain FABERHas the Home Secretary any information that deported aliens re-enter this country in any considerable number?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLNo. Sometimes they return, and it rests with the court to inflict adequate punishment upon them when they are apprehended.