§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many British citizens have unsuccessfully applied for permission for spouses and finances from Australia to enter the United Kingdom for residence since 1978; and what evidence was offered in an attempt to prove that the marriage or engagement was a genuine one;
(2) how many British citizens have successfully applied for permission for spouses or fiancées from Australia to enter the United Kingdom for residence since 1978; and what evidence was offered to prove that the marriage or engagement was a genuine one.
§ Mr. RentonThe only information readily available is of the numbers of citizens of Australia who have been 587W accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom as spouses: this information is published annually in "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom", tables 3 and 4 of the latest issue for 1986 (Cm. 166), and is brought together in the table. Copies of this publication are in the Library.
The sponsors may have been British citizens or persons already settled in the United Kingdom or persons being accepted for settlement in their own right at the same time. The requirements for any person seeking to settle in the United Kingdom as a spouse are set out in the Immigration Rules. If the hon. Member has any specific case in mind, he may care to write to me about it.
Citizens of Australia accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom as spouses, 1978 to 1986 Year Number 850 1978 850 1979 760 1980 570 1981 400 1982 320 1983 450 1984 620 1985 630 1986 480