§ 2.35 p.m.
§ LORD ALPORTMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take with regard to the plight of Indians in East Africa possessing British passports, who are to be deported from Tanzania and have been denied entry to the Republic of India.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (LORD BESWICK)My Lords, I am not aware that the Indian authorities have refused to admit to India any persons of Indian origin who are in possession of British passports. As far as citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies are concerned, they are not subject to the United Kingdom immigration control unless their citizenship is derived from their connection with a remaining Colony.
§ LORD ALPORTMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether the High Commissioner in Dar-es-Salaam is in touch with the development of this problem, because all of us who know anything about East Africa realised that the Asian population were most likely to be victimised at some point or other in the development of those territories, and we in this country still have a residual obligation to look after their interests, particularly those who carry British passports?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I quite understand what the noble Lord is saying in the latter part of his supplementary question, and the implications of 148 what he is saying. This is of course appreciated by Her Majesty's Government, who are at present looking most carefully into the whole question.
LORD SALTOUNMy Lords, may I ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will again look into this question of British passports, with a view to dealing with specially hard cases? The noble Lord, Lord Clifford of Chudleigh, asked a Question on the subject some time ago, and it seems to me that there are considerable cases of hardship in connection with British passports. Could the matter be looked at again?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, if there are particular cases of hardship I shall, of course, be happy myself to look into them. Perhaps the noble Lord will let me have details of any individual cases that he has in mind. With regard to this area of difficulty—the Indian High Commissioner in Dar-es-Salaam was mentioned—I think I realize to what the noble Lord was referring in the statement which was made by the Indian High Commissioner. But I believe it is relevant to say that the Indian Minister of State, speaking in the Indian House on August 23, 1966, stated that if people were in possession of British passports—and those are the people to whom the noble Lord refers—they do not require permits or visas to enter India and would normally be admitted if they came of their own free will. In the last few days the Government in Delhi has confirmed that position.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, could my noble friend give any indication of the number of Indians who are to be deported from Tanzania? And is it not the case that both the Indian Government and the Government in Tanzania are seeking in every way possible to secure co-operation between the Indian and the African communities in that country?
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I hope that the position is as indicated by my noble friend; that in fact the Tanzanian and the Indian authorities are cooperating together. I cannot give him the figures for which he asks. For one thing, the question of definition comes into the matter. I am not sure what he means by an "Indian"—whether he means a person born in Tanzania or 149 one who has emigrated from India to Tanzania. In any case, I am afraid I cannot give him the figures for which he asks.