§ Mr. Leeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases during the last five years compensatory payments, ex gratia or otherwise, have been made to persons detained on entry into the United Kingdom on suspicion of being illegal immigrants but whose bona fides were subsequently vindicated; and in how many such cases neither apology nor compensation were forthcoming.
§ Mr. JohnSomeone who is refused entry to the United Kingdom, but who is thereafter successful in appealing or otherwise making representations against the refusal, has no claim to compensation on that account. An ex gratia payment would be made only in exceptional circumstances. I have not been able to trace any such payment made to someone seeking entry and mistakenly believed to have entered illegally in the past.
As to the last part of my hon. Friend's Question, I regret that this information is not separately available.