§ 26. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Home Secretary whether he has any record of the number of Italians who left this country during the course of the ItaloAbyssinian war and who have returned here and secured employment; and, if so, will he give a list of their employers?
§ Sir J. SIMONNo, Sir. No record has been kept.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIn view of the fact that these men left this country to help their country to break international law, will the right hon. Gentleman secure a record of those who attempt to return, and will he refuse to allow any of them to be domiciled in this country?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe hon. Gentleman will see that it does not follow that because a man leaves at a particular period he leaves for a particular purpose, and it would be difficult, I think, to ascertain in each case whether he left for this purpose or not; and, apart from that, our general practice under all governments has been that a foreigner who is regularly domiciled in this country is ordinarily readmitted after a temporary absence abroad, provided that he has not been absent so long that he has ceased to have any claim to be regarded as a resident here. I think that, broadly speaking, that must be the fair way to deal with this class of case.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIn the very special circumstances referred to in the question, and with 1,750,000 of our own people unemployed, does the right hon. Gentleman think that we ought to allow to be domiciled in this country persons who left here to join the Italian army to help to break international law?
§ Sir J. SIMONI cannot add anything to the answer I have given.
§ Mr. STEPHENCan the right hon. Gentleman tell us how foreigners are able to get domicile here?
§ Sir J. SIMONThat is another question.