§ 53. Sir I. Fraserasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many German prisoners of war applied to stay in this country after 1945; in how many cases was permission given; and on what grounds.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir Hugh Lucas-Tooth)The number of German prisoners of war who applied for permission to remain in this country is not known. About 15,000 applicants for whom there was work in agriculture, and about 650 who could be employed on bomb disposal, were allowed to remain after the end of 1948, when the general repatriation 2331 was completed. In addition, from April, 1948, a certain number of prisoners who had married wives of British birth and parentage were allowed to settle here.
§ Sir I. FraserIs my hon. Friend aware that during the year after the end of the war, in my farming area alone, half a dozen German prisoners asked to stay? The farmers wanted them, the men did not want to go back to Germany and did not like the German way of life, but they were sent back.
§ Sir H. Lucas-ToothI am not aware of the particular case. A large number of prisoners applied to stay but were not able to do so because there were no places for them to go to in agriculture.