§ 63. Mr. MARCUSasked the Home Secretary if he is aware that persons with five years' residence in this country are being refused certificates of naturalisation; and what is the minimum length of residence now insisted on by his Department?
§ Mr. SHORTThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Five years' residence in this country is one of the statutory qualifications for an application, but does not give an alien any right to naturalisation. My right hon. Friend is sometimes obliged to refuse to naturalise an alien who has lived here for much longer than that. The second part of the question does not seem to arise.