§ Mr. Wheelerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will allow overstayers whose applications to remain have been refused a short 509W period of grace in which to make arrangements for their departure; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitelawWhere an application to remain received from a person who has overstayed his leave is refused, I am content, except where the overstaying has been serious, to refrain from taking action to deport for fourteen days from the date on which the refusal notice is received.
The Association of Chief Police Officers for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland) have agreed that the police should serve the notice of refusal in such cases and that the police should normally refrain from initiating a prosecution for the same period as I undertake to refrain from deportation. There may, however, be exceptional cases where the chief officer of police will feel it desirable to prosecute immediately.