HC Deb 24 October 1986 vol 102 cc1013-21W
Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for each of the last 10 weeks how many visitors have come from (a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) Bangladesh, respectively; and in each week and for each country how many have been (i) permitted to enter, (ii) temporarily detained, (iii) returned immediately, (iv) given temporary admission and (v) been subject to a Member of Parliament's stop.

Mr. Waddington

The information is not available in the form requested to answer parts(a), (b), (c), (i), (iii), (iv), and (v). Information readily available to answer (ii) refers only to persons arriving at Heathrow and Gatwick airports. The following table shows details of nationals of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh who were detained for further examination between 6 August and 15 October 1986.

India Pakistan Bangladesh
August
6 17 0 4
7 19 16 2
8 31 8 22
9 31 15 4
10 77 28 22
11 25 S 0
12 35 27 40
13 14 10 3
14 35 17 1
15 20 5 25
16 32 18 4
17 42 27 0
18 19 10 3
19 26 6 9
20 28 6 6
21 21 11 1
22 22 10 5
23 21 15 8
24 45 17 21

India Pakistan Bangladesh
25 19 19 0
26 31 16 18
27 15 6 9
28 16 13 0
29 14 7 52
30 16 14 5
31 18 7 32
September
1 19 16 10
2 19 27 33
3 50 9 5
4 34 16 4
5 25 9 33
6 49 30 4
7 54 27 29
8 44 27 2
9 22 69 39
10 47 14 6
11 24 38 3
12 35 16 28
13 39 29 9
14 56 26 51
15 41 38 3
16 27 60 120
17 30 5 5
18 24 26 3
19 40 8 45
20 47 22 8
21 77 42 82
22 37 31 4
23 31 49 46
24 43 14 17
25 55 59 2
26 42 9 73
27 91 41 11
28 100 76 212
29 99 61 3
30 81 73 188
October
1 43 15 32
2 24 34 4
3 16 123 130
4 34 22 47
5 46 39 81
6 40 32 4
7 17 80 213
8 45 11 38
9 31 65 2
10 48 34 166
11 62 61 59
12 102 60 160
13 74 165 371
14 209 206 580
15 25 11 3

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give a breakdown by (a) country of origin and (b) date of entry into the United Kingdom of all those currently detained;

(2) if he will state the number and country of origin of visitors from the five visa countries who arrived in the United Kingdom up to and including 15 October who are still detained.

Mr. Waddington

The information readily available relates to passengers from the five countries who arrived at terminal 3, Heathrow in the period 11–15 October 1986 and, as at midnight 22 October, was as follows:

Nationality Number currently detained
Bangladesh 56
Ghana 1
India 17
Nigeria 1
Pakistan 12

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors from the five visa countries who have sponsors residing in Newham are currently detained.

Mr. Waddington

No record of sponsors' addresses is maintained centrally. Of the passengers arriving at the Heathrow and Gatwick airports from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Ghana and Nigeria since 1 October 1986 who are currently detained, three are known to have sponsors residing in Newham.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors arriving at Heathrow and Gatwick airports between 6 and 15 October from the five visa countries gave an address of a sponsor living in the London borough of Newham.

Mr. Waddington

The information requested is not available.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what countries and organisations were officially notified of the visa requirements for India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ghana and Nigeria prior to 15 October, and which of those countries and organisations expressed (a) support and (b) opposition.

Mr. Waddington

Representatives of the Governments of Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Pakistan and Nigeria were informed when the decision to change visa requirements was announced. We wrote to the following organizations with an information leaflet about the changes:

  • Members of the Home Secretary's Advisory Council on Race Relations.
  • All Community Relations Councils in England, Wales and Scotland.
  • Advice Services Alliance
  • British Council of Churches.
  • British Refugee Council.
  • Commission for Racial Equality.
  • Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.
  • National Association for the Care and Welfare of Offenders.
  • National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux.
  • National Association of Community Relations Councils.
  • National Union of Students.
  • Representative for the United Kingdom of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
  • United Kingdom Council of Overseas Students Affairs.

Public exchange numbers Number of lines available Other available numbers General arrangements Number of staff dedicated to answering telephone enquiries Hours of availability
Heathrow Terminal 1 01 897 1282 01 857 2731 2 Airport Information Desk has a facility to make calls on the airport internal network Calls are answered by any available member of staff None 24 hours

United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service.

We do not keep lists of comments which have been made.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a daily breakdown of the number and category of immigration officers who were present at London airports from the date of his announcement of a visa regime on 6 October and 15 October when it was implemented.

Mr. Waddington

The information relating to immigration officers and chief immigration officers on duty at the four Heathrow terminals and Gatwick airport for the period in question is:

Immigration Officers Chief Immigration Officers
6 October 383 53
7 October 388 54
8 October 348 52
9 October 371 51
10 October 361 53
11 October 405 56
12 October 445 59
13 October 394 55
14 October 435 57
15 October 392 56

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional advice services were provided at Heathrow and Gatwick airports between 6 and 15 October to assist sponsors of intending visitors from the five visa countries.

Mr. Waddington

Special arrangements were made at terminal 3 for representatives of the Bangladesh and Indian high commissions, and Pakistan embassy to have unrestricted access to their nationals who were detained in the control areas and to visit them at detention centres. At terminals 2, 3 and 4 periodic situation reports were passed to waiting sponsors either by immigration staff direct or via the airport public address system.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone lines were made available between 6 and 15 October for the use of sponsors inquiring about visitors arriving from the five visa countries at Heathrow and Gatwick airports; what telephone number was given; to whom they were connected; how many staff were available between 6 and 15 October to answer inquiries and between what hours; and how many telephone calls were received.

Mr. Waddington

The information requested is set out in the table:

Public exchange numbers Number of lines available Other available numbers General arrangements Number of staff dedicated to answering telephone enquiries Hours of availability
Terminal 2 01 897 3129 01 897 3120 3 Airport Information Desk has a facility to make calls on the airport internal network During normal office hours calls are answered by a clerical assistant who diverts callers to the appropriate officer/ extension One 0900–1700
After 2200 calls will be answered by any available member of staff 1700–0900
Terminal 3 01 897 9631 15 Two telephones are available in the public concourse providing a direct link to the Immigration Office switchboard Switchboard operators divert calls to appropriate officer/ extension Total 3 per day (2 on 8 October) 0700–2100
Calls are diverted to the officer dealing with the individual case Number available varies in accordance with workload
In addition 2 officers are available during each shift period to deal with general enquiries Total six per day
At night an immigration officer mans the switchboard and deals with all callers One 2100–0700
Terminal 4 01 897 7261 8 A free telephone is available in the sponsors/ appointments area direct to the Immigration Office switchboard A switchboard operator is on duty to divert calls to the appropriate IS officer Two per day 0700–2100
A night service is provided and calls are answered by any available officer 2100–0700
Gatwick 0293 502019 2 A telephone is provided in the public concourse giving a direct link to the Immigration Office. Another is available at the BAA Information desk with the same facility The Immigration Office does not have its own switchboard. It is served by the airport network
The Immigration Service Duty Officer receives all calls on the number shown and diverts callers to the appropriate officer/ extension 4 per day 0700–2100
A night service is provided and calls are answered by any available officer 2100–0700

Note: The number or nature of incoming telephone calls is not recorded.

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for every day between 6 and 15 October the number of visitors interviewed from the five visa countries at ports of entry throughout the United Kingdom; what were the countries of origin of each visitor; how many were allowed to enter the United Kingdom as (a) regular visitors and (b) on temporary admission; and how many were refused admission.

Mr. Waddington

Information on the number and nationality of passengers seeking or given entry as visitors to the United Kingdom or of the number of such passengers given temporary admission between 6 and 15 October is not available.

The number of passengers refused entry by nationality at Heathrow and Gatwick airports is given in the table and includes passengers who sought entry for any purpose.

India Pakistan Bangladesh Nigeria Ghana
6 October 12 6 3 3 2
7 October 7 20 48 3 1
8 October 12 4 12 4 6
9 October 23 12 3 2 9
10 October 17 4 48 3 4
11 October 17 21 33 10 6
12 October 21 32 79 2 4
13 October 14 8 66 4 1
14 October 18 34 66 1 0
15 October 36 27 30 6 10

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a breakdown of the number of visitors from each of the five visa countries detained at the port of entry in the United Kingdom for every day from 1 September to 15 October.

India Pakistan Bangladesh Nigeria Ghana
1 September 19 16 10 9 5
2 September 19 27 33 11 17
3 September 50 9 5 16 5
4 September 34 16 4 22 4
5 September 25 9 33 14 12
6 September 49 30 4 16 26
7 September 54 27 29 16 1
8 September 44 27 2 16 12
9 September 22 69 39 18 13
10 September 47 14 6 19 8
11 September 24 38 3 20 8
12 September 35 16 28 19 5
13 September 39 29 9 25 25
14 September 56 26 51 25 1
15 September 41 38 3 13 5
16 September 27 60 120 26 16
17 September 30 5 5 18 4
18 September 24 26 3 20 3
19 September 40 8 45 15 16
20 September 47 22 8 26 16
21 September 77 42 82 11 1
22 September 37 31 4 11 12
23 September 31 49 46 7 15
24 September 43 14 17 10 16
25 September 55 59 2 11 5
26 September 42 9 73 17 6
27 September 91 41 11 32 14
28 September 100 76 212 31 3
29 September 99 61 3 37 1
30 September 81 73 188 9 19
1 October 43 15 32 16 1
2 October 24 34 4 12 3
3 October 16 23 130 0 5
4 October 34 22 47 4 10
5 October 46 39 81 8 4
6 October 40 32 4 4 3
7 October 17 80 213 4 16
8 October 45 11 38 4 7
9 October 31 65 2 5 4
10 October 48 34 166 2 8
11 October 62 61 59 13 13
12 October 102 60 160 7 8
13 October 74 165 371 3 1
14 October 209 206 580 4 21
15 October 25 11 3 5 4

Mr. Tony Banks

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he advised right hon. and

Mr. Waddington

The available information relates to the number of passengers of the five given nationalities who were required to submit to further examination at Heathrow and Gatwick airports between the dates quoted and were detained pending their examination at the port. The figures include passengers who sought entry for any purpose.

hon. Members of the visa requirements for India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ghana and Nigeria; and what information he gave them about the new procedures.

Mr. Waddington

My right hon. Friend announced the changes in visa arrangements on 1 September and since then I have written to a number of right hon. and hon. Members. My right hon. Friend made a statement on 21 October. A copy of an information leaflet about the new procedures is in the Library of the House.

Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors to Britain who were refused leave to enter since the introduction of the visa regime were detained in one of Her Majesty's prisons; what was the duration of their imprisonment; what criteria his Department operated in order to decide which visitors were accommodated in hotels and which were put in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Waddington

The information readily available relates to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. No citizen of Bangladesh, India or Pakistan refused leave to enter at these airports since the introduction with effect from 15 October of the visa regime has been detained in prison.

Mr. Kaufman

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors arrived at Heathrow terminal 3 on 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 October; and how many arrived in October 1985.

Mr. Waddington

[pursuant to his reply, 21 October 1986, c. 799]: Figures of admissions of visitors are compiled only on a monthly basis. A total of 137,000 non-EC foreign nationals were admitted as visitors at Heathrow terminal 3 in October 1985; the corresponding figure for October 1986 will not be available until early in the new year.