§ Mr. Stanbrookasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will 452W list the conditions under which immigrants may be assisted to return to their countries of origin, stating to what extent, if any, the figures governing eligibility have been revised since the scheme was originally introduced.
§ Mr. RaisonSection 29 of the Immigration Act 1971 makes provision for the payment of expenses to immigrants who wish to leave the country voluntarily. Eligibility for assistance is limited to cases where the head of the family or household is subject to immigration control.
In broad terms the additional administrative criteria governing eligibility are as follows:
- (a) the applicant has failed to settle satisfactorily in this country;
- (b) the applicant cannot be expected to finance his departure himself;
- (c) emigration is likely to be in the best interests of the person and any family concerned;
- (d) current average weekly earnings of the family unit does not exceed by more than £5 the appropriate supplementary benefit level;
- (e) the head of family or household has a poor employment record or prospects.
Assistance may be given only in respect of the expenses incurred in leaving the United Kingdom.
Assistance towards the cost of travel for settlement in Europe is excluded from the scheme.
The financial limits set by criterion (d) have been varied by updating the level of supplementary benefits and, in 1973, by increasing the permitted excess of income above that level from £2 to £5. Applications for families whose income is marginally higher than these levels and whose cases present special welfare need are not excluded automatically from consideration.
Assistance provided under section 3 of the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976 is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.