HC Deb 09 July 1981 vol 8 cc564-5
4. Mr. Murphy

Secretary of State for the Home Department what institutional arrangements exist for the detection of illegal immigrants.

Mr. Raison

The Home Office and the police work together to enforce the Immigration Act and to detect people here in breach of it.

Mr. Murphy

Does my hon. Friend agree that if the Government are to implement a successful policy of firmly controlling immigration, an essential prerequisite is that we are successful in finding illegal immigrants and in stopping them coming?

Mr. Raison

I accept that we have to find illegal entrants to this country. Last year, 1,500 illegal entrants were detected and more than 1,100 were deported.

Mr. Tilley

Is the Minister aware that many hon. Members and trade unions feel that, in spite of representations made to him and to the Secretary of State, the immigration authorities are still carrying out what is effectively a witch hunt against Filipino domestic and catering workers, in an attempt to show that they were illegal entrants when they came here long ago? Will he agree that on this issue it is time to call off the dogs?

Mr. Raison

Representations have been made to us about the Filipinos. We are fulfilling the policy that we have explained to the hon. Gentleman and to the trade unions. Unfortunately, large numbers of Filipinos have been detected, but in dealing with these cases we have exercised our compassionate discretion to a very wide degree.