§ 61. Sir C. Cayzerasked the Home Secretary whether he has any reason to believe that increased numbers of aliens are reaching this country without proper passports; and what supervision is exercised at the different ports to ensure that undesirable aliens do not enter this country individually or unnoticed?
§ Sir S. HoareI have no reason to suppose that there has been any increase in the number of aliens surreptitiously entering the country. No alien may land in the country without leave of an immigration officer who scrutinises every passport with care, and the master of every ship is responsible for reporting the arrival of any alien and detaining him pending examination by the immigration officer. The greatest vigilance is exercised by the immigration staff who have the co-operation of the dock and harbour police as well as that of the Customs officers. Occasionally some person succeeds in evading the most careful system of control through connivance of members of a crew or by means of an irregular passport or otherwise but there appears to have been no material increase in such cases.
§ Sir C. CayzerWill my right hon. Friend say whether it has been the practice of the police to check from time to time the passports of known aliens in the London docks area?
§ Sir S. HoareI think my hon. Friend had better put that question down.