§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in relation to immigration issues concerning passengers from Jamaica on 21 December 1993; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardleAbout 80 letters have been received about individual cases or wider issues.
§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will place in the Library the correspondence and any other documents relating to the immigration issues concerning the flight from Jamaica on 21 December 1993; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will make a statement about immigration issues in respect of passengers from Jamaica on 21 December 1993.
§ Mr. Charles WardleI have arranged for a copy of my reply today, to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen), about the arrival of flight JQ 001 from Kingston, to be placed in the Library.
§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he had prior discussions with the airline or the travel agents about immigration issues for passengers flying from Jamaica on 21 December 1993; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardleOn 16 December the immigration service was telephoned by the airline and the chatterer. They inquired about the desirability of the passengers obtaining prior entry clearance; about the possibility of incurring carriers' liability charges; and whether it would be possible to send an immigration officer to Kingston to examine the passengers before embarkation.
They were advised by the immigration service that carriers' liability was unlikely to be a problem provided that the passengers held a valid passport; and that prior entry clearance was not required for Jamaican citizens, 342W although they were encouraged to apply if in any doubt about their eligibility for admission. They were also informed that pre-clearance in Kingston would not be possible. There are no standing arrangements for the immigration service to operate controls overseas, and even if such an arrangement had been thought desirable it would not have been possible to conclude the necessary agreements with the Jamaican authorities in the short time available.
The immigration service subsequently confirmed with the airline the expected time of arrival, aircraft type and the expected number of passengers, and logistical arrangements for disembarkation were discussed with the airline's handling agents. The airline also provided the immigration service with a passenger manifest three and a half hours prior to the aircraft's arrival at Gatwick.
§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passengers from Jamaica on 21 December 1993 were(a) allowed to remain and (b) deported; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThere were 326 passengers on flight JQ 001 from Kingston. On 12 January 1994, 67 passengers had been refused leave to enter of whom 33 had been removed. Five cases have still to be resolved.
§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what immigration procedures are applied to passengers travelling from Jamaica on(a) scheduled and (b) charter flights; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Charles WardleAll passengers who seek leave to enter the United Kingdom are examined by an immigration officer and must satisfy him that they quality for entry under the immigration rules.