HC Deb 19 December 1975 vol 902 cc856-7W
Mr. John Page

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table, up to the latest convenient date, showing annually for the last 10 years the numbers of immigrants from the New Commonwealth including voucher holders and, dependent relatives who have arrived with the intention of taking up residence in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

The table below gives the numbers of citizens of New Commonwealth countries and United Kingdom passport holders subject to immigration control admitted for settlement on arrival in the United Kingdoms during the period 1965 to September 1975.

approved or rejected, over the last 10' years, from Commonwealth persons who originally entered the United Kingdom for holidays, study or on other temporary permits.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

The available information about illegal entrants detained and removed is given in the following table. Figures for years before 1968 are not available and figures for the years before 1973 do not include foreign nationals, as no records of these were kept.

Detained Removed
1968 32 32
1969 41 41
1970 99 99
1971 84 84
1972 59 59
1973 258 176
1974 157 139
1.1.75 to 30.9.75 142 124

It is obviously not possible to make a reliable estimate of the number of illegal entrants living in the United Kingdom. However, up to 30th November 1975 there were 1,833 applications to benefit under the decision which my right hon. Friend announced on 11th April 1974 affecting people who entered illegally before 1st January 1973. Of these, 1,177 have been granted, 335 have been found ineligible, and the remainder are being considered.

During the period 1966 to 30th September 1975, the numbers of Commonwealth citizens accepted for settlement by removal of time limit after admission for a limited period were:

1966 1,853 (1)
1967 3,593
1968 5,269
1969 5,178
1970 5,665
1971 10,619
1972 9,912
1973 8,411
1974 18,959 (2)
1975 (to 30th September) 14,827 (2)

Information about the number of applications for permanent residence rejected during the period is not available.

NOTES

1Conditions were not generally attached to the admission of Commonwealth citizens until 1965: those whose admission was subject to conditions qualified to have the conditions removed in increasing numbers in subsequent years.

2The increased numbers accepted for settlement by removal of time limit in 1974 and 1975 were largely due to acceptances for settlement on marriage to persons settled here and the qualification of Commonwealth citizens for the immunity from deportation granted by Section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971 to those who were ordinarily resident in this country on 1st January 1973 and who had been so resident for five years.