§ Mr. Crowderasked the Home Secretary whether any inquiries have been made by his Department recently into the marriages contracted between alien women and Englishmen with the main object of providing these alien women with English nationality; and whether any steps will be taken to ensure that British nationality is not, by these means, acquired by undesirable aliens?
§ Sir S. HoareYes, Sir. For some years past steps have been taken to prevent undesirable foreign women coming to this country and contracting marriages of convenience for the purpose solely of obtaining British nationality. The steps taken have restricted the mischief and I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that such cases as have recently come to notice have mostly been cases of women who have contracted marriages abroad with British subjects. To prevent foreign 1729W women acquiring British nationality on marriage to a British subject would involve a far-reaching amendment of the law of nationality.