§ Mr. Maxwell-Hyslopasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action immigration officers will take to board incoming merchant ships which will not, after 1st April, be boarded as a matter of routine by Customs officers, to ensure that would-be illegal immigrants from among the ships' crews are detained on board or taken into custody ashore, to prevent them "jumping ship"; and whether he is satisfied that a period of 12 hours after tying-up at a British port before being required to present the Aliens Crews List, will not increase the danger of illegal immigration.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesWhere Customs Officers already act in an immigration control capacity they will continue to do so. Where an incoming ship is boarded, action in such cases may include refusal of leave to enter, and detention either on board the ship or a shore as appropriate.
The requirement that the crew list of an incoming ship be delivered within 12 hours of arrival is not new, nor does it represent any relaxation of the control. This requirement has been in operation for many years. Alternative arrangements for it to be met where changes in Customs procedures make this necessary have been made, and represent no risk of increased desertion.
The effectiveness of the present controls is demonstrable: in 1977, out of nearly 1 million non-British seamen serving on ships which arrived at a United Kingdom port, only 146 successful attempts at desertion were reported. In the same year 282 seamen deserters, many of whom will have deserted in previous years, were traced and dealt with appropriately.