§ Mr. Alex Carlileasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were removed from the United Kingdom as illegal immigrants and overstayers, despite having remained here for over 10 years, in each of the years 1981 to 1985; and if he will make a statement as to his Department' policy towards such long-term overstayers.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe figures requested are not available. The immigration rules provide that in deciding whether to deport an overstayer, full account is to be taken of all the relevant circumstances, with the public interest being balanced against any compassionate factors, including length of residence. Similar considerations apply in deciding whether to remove illegal entrants. Continuous unlawful residence in the United Kingdom amounting to 10 or more years is considered a prima facie reason for allowing a person to remain. Account is also taken of any countervailing factors, such as a criminal record. Each case is considered on its merits.
§ Mr. Proctorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate, of the 100,790 visitors from the New Commonwealth and Pakistan in 1983 and the 105,850 New Commonwealth and Pakistan visitors in 1984, how many returned to their own countries at the end of their permitted stay, how many were granted an extension to their initial duration of stay and how many cannot be accounted for.
§ Mr. WaddingtonI shall reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what has been the total number of spouses admitted to the United Kingdom to accompany their immigrant partner in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available;
(2) what has been the average number of children admitted to the United Kingdom to accompany their immigrant parents in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available;
(3) what information he has concerning the average number of wives admitted to the United Kingdom to accompany immigrant husbands in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe available information relates to all children and spouses accepted for settlement on arrival or on removal of time limit and is published annually in "Control of Immigration Statistics, United Kingdom". Figures for the latest 10 years are given in table 14 of the latest issue for 1984, (Cmnd. 9544.).
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§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has concerning the number of immigrant men who were accompanied on entry into the United Kingdom by one, two or three or more wives in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe information requested is not available in this form.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has concerning the number of immigrant parents who were accompanied on entry into the United Kingdom by one, two, three or four or more children in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe specific information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, information is available on the numbers of children accompanying wives granted entry clearance in the Indian subcontinent for settlement in the United Kingdom: in 1984, 560 such wives were accompanied by one child, 470 by two, 370 by three and 390 by four or more. These figures exclude any children granted entry clearance who were born after their mother lodged her application.