§ Mr. Moyleasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now completed the investigation announced on 367W 24th July, 1968, into the admission of fiances to join Commonwealth citizens resident in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. CallaghanDuring 1968 1,676 Commonwealth citizens were admitted for marriage to women resident in the United Kingdom. These men were admitted under a concessionary provision, in addition to the 3,828 adult males admitted under the employment voucher scheme. Their numbers have risen steeply over the last year or so and are now on such a scale that it seems that marriage is being used by many young men of working age as a means of entering, working and settling in this country. This abuse of the concession is inconsistent with the general scheme of Commonwealth immigration control, particularly the employment voucher scheme. The Government have, therefore, decided concession under which male Commonwealth citizens are allowed to settle here in right of their wife must be withdrawn.
In future the admission of husbands and fiances from the Commonwealth for settlement will be restricted to cases presenting special features, and it will be a requirement that an entry certificate must have been obtained. Consistently with this, men who have been admitted as visitors, students, or for other temporary purposes, will not be permitted to settle here following marriage, save in exceptional circumstances.
Account will be taken in individual cases of any special circumstances, whether of a family nature or otherwise, which make exclusion from the United Kingdom undesirable; but men, whether husbands or fiances, seeking admission under this special dispensation must obtain an entry certificate before setting out for the United Kingdom.
I have accordingly issued revised instructions to immigration officers, which come into effect immediately.