§ 81. Mr. Teelingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he will not grant a return visa to a foreigner unless he or she has a passport or travel document for return to his or her own country for a period longer than two months; what is the origin and date of this rule; to what countries it applies; and if in exceptional cases such as that of Miss Huang, details of which have been given to him, he will relax this rule.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerThe object of the rule, which has been in use for many years, is to enable foreigners, whose departure it might otherwise be difficult to enforce, to be sent out of the country while their papers are still valid. It was originally applied to persons travelling on refugees, stateless or other non-national travel documents, but it was subsequently extended to nationals of Iron Curtain countries. The period was at one time one month, but it was found necessary to increase it to two months. It is possible sometimes to relax the application of the rule, and I have written to my hon. Friend about the case of Miss Huang.