HC Deb 17 November 1976 vol 919 cc574-5W
Mr. Budgen

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many Commonwealth citizens are believed currently to be overstaying illegally in the United Kingdom;

(2) how many Commonwealth visitors in the United Kingdom at present are regarded as possible overstayers in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Summerskill

The available information relates to those people lawfully admitted to the United Kingdom subject to a time limit on their stay and found to have overstayed their leave. It is held on a case-by-case basis and it would he practicable neither to assemble it in the form requested, save at disproportionate cost, nor to speculate about the numbers of visitors whose leave has yet to expire but who may overstay when it does.

Mr. Budgen

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration officers are employed in preventing overstaying in the United Kingdom by Commonwealth citizens.

Dr. Summerskill

A large part of the work of the headquarters of the Immigration and Nationality Department is the prevention of overstaying. Since this normally forms part of the full range of its duties, it is not possible to estimate separately the amount of staff time spent on this particular task whether for Commonwealth citizens or generally. The essential task of the 1,130 immigration officers stationed at ports of entry to the United Kingdom is to control admission to this country. They are not ordinarily concerned with identifying or tracing overstayers. They contribute to the prevention of overstaying by refusing leave to enter in doubtful cases and by imposing conditions of entry which facilitate after-entry control and which may act as a deterrent.

Mr. Budgen

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are employed in preventing overstaying in the United Kingdom by Commonwealth citizens.

Dr. Summerskill

Individual police officers who assist in enforcing the immigration law normally do so as part of their full range of police duties. It is not therefore possible, save at disproportionate cost, to estimate the amount of police time spent on this task.

Mr. Budgen

asked the Secretary for the Home Department how many Commonwealth visitors were required in 1976 to register with the police in order to prevent their overstaying.

Dr. Summerskill

As the law stands, no Commonwealth citizen is required to register with the police.