§ Sir Frederic Bennettasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the criteria for allowing entry of Chilean refugees since 1973 have included the requirement that applicants should have ties with the United Kingdom and responsible sponsorship.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesSince the Latin American refugee programme was first announced in November 1973, the criteria for acceptance of persons for settlement have been varied to suit changing circumstances. The requirement for an applicant to have ties with the United Kingdom and responsible sponsorship was present in the original scheme but not in the scheme introduced in 1976 in response to an appeal by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for those most in danger in Argentina. The stipulation of ties was re-introduced as a result of the review completed last June and is part of current policy.