§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what measures he proposes to take to control, at the channel ports of entry, illegal immigration from the rest of the European Union into the United Kingdom;
(2) what measures he proposes to take to control further illegal immigration.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerImmigration officers apply a document check to all passengers arriving at Dover, and examine non-EEA nationals to assess their admissibility under the immigration rules. In addition, immigration officers conduct surveillance on car and freight traffic to combat clandestine immigration by concealment in vehicles and containers. The number of clandestine entrants detected in the Dover area increased from 256 in 1993 to 379 in 1994.
My right hon. and learned Friend recently announced measures, including additional resources for the 10W immigration and nationality department and the immigration appellate authorities, aimed at speeding up the processing of asylum applications.
We have been examining further ways in which the system of immigration control can be made more effective and hope to bring forward new measures shortly.
§ Mr. GaleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he proposes to instigate within the Council of Ministers further to control illegal immigration into the European Union through all European Union ports of entry.
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerThe Government strongly support measures to combat illegal immigration into the European Union and are participating actively in a number of measures currently under consideration in the third pillar. They do not at present have any separate initiatives of their own to propose.