HC Deb 26 July 1951 vol 491 c633
24. Mr. Thomas Reid

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many stowaways have come to Britain since 1945; how many of these have come from Colonial or Dependency Territories; and how many have been repatriated.

Mr. Ede

The number in question is 4,513, of whom 2,618 were British or so represented themselves and 1,895 were aliens. Of the British, since 1st January, 1949, 934 out of 1,104 came from the Colonies or Dependencies; of these, 196 were turned away because they failed to establish their British nationality, and a few others were later repatriated. These figures are a close approximation and comparable figures are not available for the period before 1st January, 1949. Similarly, of 371 alien stowaways since January, 1950, all, except 17, principally refugees from Poland, were turned away.