§ Lord AVEBURYMy 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 how many Cyprus passport holders have been refused admission to the United Kingdom in August, September, October and November, respectively.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD HARRIS OF GREENWICH)My Lords, the numbers of Cypriots refused leave to enter in August, September and October were 15, 17 and 37. The figure for November is not yet available, but is likely to be about 60.
§ Lord AVEBURYMy Lords, do these figures indicate some change in the attitude of the immigration service? Have any fresh instructions been given to immigration officers at the ports to be less easy in admitting persons holding Cypriot passports? In view of the desperate situation in which many of these refugees existed before they left the island, would it not be only humanitarian and sensible to admit them on IS.96s pending clarification of the situation in Cyprus?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, I think the reason for the growth in the numbers in the month of November is that there was an increasing number of family groups who were in that month seeking entry, allegedly for a temporary purpose, but whose admission could not be justified. As regards the general principles underlying immigration control in this area, we are prepared to look very carefully at any exceptional case. But, broadly speaking, we have to 914 be convinced that a case is exceptional, and the sole fact that a family is coming from Cyprus is not a reason why they should be given exceptional treatment as compared with other types of Commonwealth immigrants.
§ Lord MAYBRAY-KINGMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that those of us who have many Cypriot friends know what excellent work has been done by Her Majesty's Government and by the Red Cross for Cypriot refugees? But will he ask his noble friend in the Department concerned with foreign affairs to see what he can do to bring to Cyprus understanding between our friends the Turkish Cypriots, and our friends the Greek Cypriots?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHYes, my Lords; that is indeed the purpose of the present policy of Her Majesty's Government.
§ Lord AVEBURYMy Lords, I wonder whether the noble Lord will answer my question about any instructions which may have been given to the immigration officers during the period to which my Question relates. Are the criteria still the same as they were before the emergency? Also, does he not consider that there are exceptional circumstances prevailing, in that many of these people have been driven away from their homes and are living in areas where the climate is, to say the least, hostile, and they may be in danger of their lives if they remain in their own country? Do those not constitute exceptional circumstances?
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHMy Lords, where there are exceptional circumstances we can certainly agree to a family or an individual coming in here for a temporary period. There have been a series of instructions given to immigration officers during the period of the Cyprus emergency, but the fact is that the situation has, to some extent at least, improved recently, and that is perhaps the reason for the change in circumstances now.