§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance from(a) wives, (b) husbands, (c) fiancés and (d) fiancées made at British posts on (1) New Delhi, (2) Bombay, (3) Calcutta, (4) Madras, (5) Dhaka, (6) Islamabad, (7) Karachi and (8) Colombo for each quarter since January 1987 were (A) received, (B) granted and (C) refused; how many refusals at each post were (i) wholly and (ii) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the primary purpose of the marriage was not immigration; how many refusals at each post were (I) wholly and (II) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the couple could support and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds; what was the refusal rate at each post; and what percentage of those refusals were (y) wholly and (z) partly on primary purpose grounds.
§ Mr. Renton[holding answer 20 July 1988]: Information for the Indian sub-continent for the whole of 1987 and, where available, for the first quarter of 1988 is given in the tables. Where the numbers are small, the figures for individual posts have been combined. In order to keep down the cost, only annual data for 1987 have been given. In any case, information on refusals which takes account of successful appeals is not compiled for periods shorter than 12 months. Corresponding information for Colombo is not available.
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Table 1 Husbands, fiances, wives and fiancees in the Indian sub-continent applying for entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom Number of persons or percentage Post Husbands Fiances Wives Fiancees 1987 1988 1987 1988 1987 1988 1987 1988 1st quarter 1st quarter 1st quarter 1st quarter New Delhi (including Calcutta) Applications received3 220 60 340 70 500 180 330 60 Applications granted4 150 40 130 40 480 130 170 60 Applications refused initially 130 20 230 50 10 1 90 30 Refusal rate (percentage)5 43 .. 59 .. 2 .. 34 .. Bombay (including Madras) Applications received3 320 70 340 80 1,150 320 260 70 Applications granted4 210 60 180 30 1,050 280 140 40 Applications refused initially 160 40 200 60 20 1 50 1 Refusal rate (percentage)5 37 .. 46 .. 2 .. 25 .. Dhaka Applications received3 250 90 20 10 1,430 380 20 1 Applications granted4 100 20 1 1 1,070 360 10 10 Applications refused initially 70 20 10 1 160 80 10 1 Refusal rate (percentage)5 36 .. 2 78 .. 1 .. 2 50 .. Islamabad (including Karachi) Applications received3 1,240 390 1,050 250 2,620 790 450 70 Applications granted4 280 100 360 80 2,130 600 290 70 Applications refused initially 320 130 450 150 120 30 40 10 Refusal rate (percentage)5 49 .. 47 .. 4 .. 11 .. 1 5 or fewer, or ½ per cent, or less. 2 Refusal rate based on fewer than 15 applications. 3 Including applications subsequently withdrawn or lapsed. 4 Granted initially or on appeal. 5 Applications refused, after taking account of successful appeals, as a percentage of applications decided. .. = not available.
Table 2 Husbands, fiances, wives and fiancees in the Indian sub-continent refused1 entry clearance to the United Kingdom in 1987 Number of persons or percentages New Delhi (including Calcutta) Bombay (including Madras) Dhaka Islamabad (including Karachi) Total Indian sub-continent Husbands Fiances Wives Fiancees Husbands Fiances Wives Fiancees Husbands Fiances Wives Fiancees Husbands Fiances Wives Fiancees Husbands Fiances Wives Fiancees Number refused because couple could not accommodate and/or maintain themselves without recourse to public funds: Solely for these reasons 2— 2— 2— 2— — 2— 2— — 2— — 10 — 2— — 2— — 10 2— 20 2— Partly for these reasons 10 2— — 2— — 2— — — 10 2— 2— 2— 70 50 — 2— 80 60 2— 10 Number refused because primary purpose of the marriage was to obtain admission to United Kingdom: Solely for this reasons 100 170 2— 10 120 160 10 20 30 — — — 200 250 2— 10 450 580 20 40 Partly for this reasons 10 20 — 30 — 2— — 2— 10 2— — — 60 80 2— 10 450 580 20 40 Primary purposes refusals as a percentage of all refusals: Solely on primary purpose purpose grounds 90 88 356 13 96 94 65 38 48 — — — 74 76 3 40 80 83 19 25 Partly on primary purpose grounds 6 9 — 29 — 3 — 4 15 357 — — 23 24 — 9 14 15 — 17 1 After taking account of successful appeals. 2 Five or fewer, or ½ per cent, or less. 3 Refused rate based on fewer than 15 applications. —Nil.