HC Deb 04 August 1961 vol 645 cc255-6W
Mr. Russell

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the result of the visit of the delegation of Ministers from Mauritius last autumn to British Honduras, British Guiana and Brazil, to explore the possibilities of emigration of Mauritians to those territories; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Iain Macleod

The delegation from Mauritius concluded that in the case of British Guiana it would be many years before the development of the territory's resources reached the stage when a pilot or mass scheme for the absorption of immigrants from Mauritius could be considered. As regards British Honduras and Brazil the delegation found that the only form of migration which might be considered was that of the peasant farmer and his family and that the cost of establishing such a family on forty acres of land in either country would be between £2,500 and £3,500 excluding the cost of passages. This cost was regarded as prohibitive.

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