HL Deb 27 July 1964 vol 260 cc886-7

2.42 p.m.

LORD BARNBY

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Africans in the last three recorded years voluntarily entered the Republic of South Africa—

  1. (a) from British Protectorates; and
  2. (b) from other African territories.]

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)

My Lords, immigration into South Africa is not a matter within Her Majesty's Government's responsibility, and figures can be supplied by the South African authorities only. No accurate figures arc available for emigration from the High Commission Territories into the Republic of South Africa before the setting up of border control on July 1, 1963. Since that date, however, I am informed that approximately 200,000 local passports have been issued for entry into the Republic. As regards other territories, my Department have made inquiries from the South African Embassy in London and, while the figures they have been able to supply are not complete, I will send them to the noble Lord if he wishes.

LORD BARNBY

My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for the care and trouble he has taken in finding an answer to my Question, which it was easy to understand would be difficult with regard to other than the High Commission Territories. In view of the massive figures which he has just quoted, would the noble Earl agree that it is not right to assume that immigration is any less now than was the case some years ago, and that it may therefore be taken that the figures for entry into South Africa from that quarter are very massive? Secondly, although the figures referred to are more readily available to the South African Government than to the United Kingdom Government, would he disagree with those figures that are available—that the number of those who enter by agreement from other parts of Africa is in the order of 300,000 annually, and 30,000 enter voluntarily without agreement? Would he disagree with those figures?

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

I am afraid the figures I have been able to get are not sufficiently complete to answer that, but I should be very glad if the noble Lord has other sources of information.

LORD BARNBY

I am grateful for that, but the fact that no fewer than 600,000 African natives are going annually into South Africa from territories outside its border impressively suggests that the conditions they find there are attractive enough for them to go in voluntarily.