§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will order an inquiry into the administration of the emigration department at Dacca in view of recent complaints about procedures for handling emigrants' applications.
§ Mr. LuardNo. I am aware that, because of the heavy burden of work upon the Immigration Department at the High Commission in Dacca, delays do occur in handling applications and particularly those in which there are serious doubts about the validity of the applicants' claims. The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department has been visiting this and other posts in the Indian sub-continent and my right hon. Friend will be considering any recommendations that she may make about the procedures100W employed. But I am generally satisfied that the post handles applications sympathetically and efficiently. I believe that the hon. Member's concern arises from the case of Mr. Ibrahim Ali, which is the subject of a separate question.
§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why, and on whose authority, civil servants in the emigration department at Dacca are issuing letters advising would-be emigrants that no purpose will be served by their writing to the emigration department to inquire about the case.
§ Mr. LuardBetween 400 and 500 incoming letters are handled each week at the Dacca Immigration Section. To help reduce the time spent processing correspondence and so to speed business generally a sentence was included in a local stock letter of acknowledgement seeking to discourage repeated inquiries. It is recognised that this sentence could create a wrong impression and it is no longer to be used.
§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why entry permits have not been issued at Dacca to the wife and four children of Mr. Ibraham Ali (Ref. A158106) as authorised on 3rd September 1974.
§ Mr. LuardBecause serious doubts arose about some parts of Mr. Ibrahim Ali's application, the original authorisation to issue an entry permit was suspended pending further examination. There were further discussions with Mr. Ali, but these did not resolve the difficulties and it was decided that a representative of the High Commission in Dacca should visit Mr. Ali's village to undertake further investigation. This visit is to take place during the week beginning 17th January. I shall write shortly to give the hon. Member further information about this case.