§ 68. Mr. R. GWYNNEasked the Home Secretary how many cases have been brought before courts of summary jurisdiction where aliens have been charged with landing in the United Kingdom without licence or permit; what have been the Orders made; and whether they have in all, or in how many, cases resulted in the defendant's being deported?
§ 69 Sir J. BUTCHERasked the Home Secretary whether he can state the number of aliens who have succeeded in landing in the United Kingdom, without any licence or permit from his Department, in contravention of the Aliens Restriction Act of last Session; whether he can state the circumstances under which this was possible; and what steps he has taken to ensure that the provisions of the Statute shall be observed?
§ 70 Sir H. NIELDasked the Home Secretary (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the observations of Sir John Dickinson, in dealing with the case of an alien brought before him on 21st February last, charged with landing in the United Kingdom without the leave of the Immigration Officer, in which the learned Stipendiary commented on the case with which aliens were allowed, in breach of the recent Aliens Restriction Act, to land at Dover without any passport or permit; what steps he has taken or proposes to take to prevent the recurrence of such breaches of the law; (2) if he is aware that large numbers of aliens, including the subjects of States recently at war with this country, are seeking to enter this country; what special steps have been taken since the passing of the Aliens Act to keep Control of this immigration; whether the number of immigration officers has been increased; and by what number and at which ports, respectively; (3) whether his attention has been called to the observations of the learned Stipendiary Magistrates presiding at the Marylebone and Thames Police Courts, respectively, on the 13th February last, in dealing with the several aliens charged with landing in the United Kingdom with out the leave of the Immigration Officer; whether it appeared from the evidence that these and other aliens without permits were permitted to land at Dover without hindrance; and how, in view of the provisions of the Recent Aliens Act, does he account for this state of things?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe main substance of these questions is covered by the answers which I gave on Thursday last to the hon. Member for Mile End. As regards the points not so covered, I beg to say that my staff of immigration officers is at present in process of reorganisation with a view to placing it on a permanent basis, and neither its actual numbers nor the places and duties to which individual 257 officers will be assigned are yet settled. As I stated on Thursday, the number of officers dealing with passengers has been increased, and I estimate that there are now 20 more officers so engaged than there were at the end of last year. These officers are mainly engaged at the approved ports specified in the Second Schedule of the Aliens Order, but it is not possible to give exact figures for each port, because officers are assigned to passenger work from week to week or day to day as the volume of traffic requires, or-as any facts come to knowledge suggesting that special danger of evasion exists at any particular port or place. At ports other than the approved ports the provisions regulating the landing of aliens are enforced by Customs officers acting as immigration officers. As regards the numbers of aliens prosecuted for landing without leave, I am unable, as stated last Thursday, to give precise figures, but I find that 30 had been sentenced to imprisonment since that date. In 11 of these cases deportation orders have been made and the rest are noted for deportation as soon as opportunity occurs. With respect to those who have not been sentenced to imprisonment but nave been merely fined or bound over by the magistrates, I have still to consider what steps, if any, ought to be taken. Reports have been brought to my notice of remarks said to have been made by the chief magistrate and others in dealing with some of these cases, and before giving my answer last Thursday I had already drawn the attention of the chief magistrate and his colleagues to some of the considerations set out therein, and I will take the same course as regards the contents of my present answer.
§ Sir R. COOPERDoes not the right hon. Gentleman realise that nothing short of a revision of Section 9 of the Aliens Restriction Act can possibly put this matter on a satisfactory basis?
Lieut.-Colonel A. MURRAYIs there any hope that we shall ever get rid of war-time restrictions on freedom of travel?