HL Deb 17 April 1991 vol 527 cc1477-8

2.50 p.m.

Lord Belhaven and Stenton asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will now abolish entry visas for Polish citizens visiting the United Kingdom.

Lord Reay

My Lords, we have no plans to do so but are keeping the matter under review.

Lord Belhaven and Stenton

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply, although I am not quite sure what it means. In view of the fact that Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux countries—more than half the EC countries—have now abolished the requirement for visas for Poles, is there any special reason why this country should not follow suit? Is my noble friend aware that Poland has strong ties with this country, that it has great affection for us and our institutions and that the present situation is causing considerable resentment particularly in view of the fact that visas have been abolished in the case of Czechoslovakia and Hungary?

Lord Reay

My Lords, we are concerned by the high rate of visa refusal or withdrawal for Polish applicants to this country. In 1989, 19 per cent. of visa applications in Warsaw were refused or withdrawn and the figure rose to 35 per cent. of all visa applications in 1990. In most cases the entry clearance officers suspected that the real intention was to work illegally in the United Kingdom. If such applicants arrived at our ports, immigration officers would apply exactly the same criteria. The concern must be that significant numbers of Poles would arrive only to be turned back at the ports by the immigration service because they did not meet the requirements of the immigration rules. That would be a source of friction between our two countries and arguably more cruel to those turned away who would have wasted their air or train fares. In our view it would not necessarily be a preferable arrangement.

Lord Bonham-Carter

My Lords, is it acceptable that this country should behave towards a country to which we owe so much and with which we have such close and recent historical associations with so much less generosity than any of our colleagues in the European Community? Are not the rules by which these people are being judged unduly restrictive and harsh and damaging to the good name of this country?

Lord Reay

My Lords, I have attempted to give the reason why we are maintaining the present system. I do not believe that to change it in the direction requested would improve our relations with Poland, for the reasons I have given.

Lord Belhaven and Stenton

My Lords, how do the immigration people know that a Pole arriving in this country is coming here to work? I have known the occasional Polish gentleman to be returned to Poland when he was not coming here to work. I do not know how immigration officers judge these things. They do not seem to judge them very well as a rule.

Lord Reay

My Lords, immigration officers must apply the immigration rules.