HC Deb 16 January 1986 vol 89 cc623-5W
Mr. Corbyn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the waiting list as at 1 January for entry clearance at (a) Dacca, (b) Islamabad and (c) Delhi; and what were the comparative figures for 1 January 1985 and 1 January 1984.

Mr. Waddington

Information for end-December 1985 is not yet available; the other information requested and that for end-September 1985 are given in the following table:

20 December 1985 to 3 January 1986 20 December 1984 to 3 January 1985
Passengers arrived Refused entry Passengers arrived Refused entry
Heathrow
Terminal 1 107,000 74 101,000 69
Terminal 2 117,000 204 109,000 150
Terminal 3 182,000 401 174,000 322
Gatwick 197,000 177 187,000 111
Dover (Eastern docks, Western docks and Hoverport) 145,000 160 143,000 119

Mr. Corbyn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrivals from Bangladesh were stopped at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Dover between 20 December 1985 and 3 January 1986.

Persons awaiting a decision on their application for entry clearance to the United Kingdom*
Number
end December 1983 end December 1984 end September 1985
Dacca 11,400 13,300 12,800
Islamabad 6,400 7,000 7,000
New Delhi 2,000 1,700 1,600

∗ For immediate settlement or temporary admission, including those who have been interviewed but whose application remains undetermined.

Mr. Corbyn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to introduce visa requests for arrivals from Bangladesh.

Mr. Waddington

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Cleethorpes (Mr. Brown) on 5 December, at column311.

Mr. Corbyn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the visa requests for arrivals from Sri Lanka will be lifted.

Mr. Waddington

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from him on 17 December, at column132.

Mr. Corbyn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrivals from (a) Bangladesh, (b) Pakistan, (c) India and (d) Sri Lanka were held in detention at (i) Harmondsworth and (ii) Ashford during the period 20 December 1985 to 3 January 1986.

Mr. Waddington

The available information relates to passengers detained at Harmondsworth who were citizens of the countries concerned, and is as follows:(a) 49; (b) 83: (c) 64; (d) 12. Statistics of persons held in Ashford remand centre do not differentiate between passengers and others held under the powers contained in the Immigration Act 1971.

Mr. Corbyn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were denied entry to the United Kingdom at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Dover between 20 December 1985 and 3 January 1986; what was the total number of passengers arriving; and what were the comparative figures for 1984–85.

Mr. Waddington

Precise statistics for passengers arriving during the period in question are not yet available. Those given are approximate.

Mr. Waddington

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the number of Bangladesh citizens who were refused entry at the ports listed during this period.

The information is as follows:

Number
Heathrow
Terminal 1 0
Terminal 2 1
Terminal 3 60
Gatwick 5
Dover (Eastern docks, Western docks and Hoverport) 13

Mr. Corbyn

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent instructions have been given to the immigration service dealing with the arrival of people from Bangladesh.

Mr. Waddington

Those issued at Heathrow terminal 3 about liaison with the Bangladesh high commission, about falsified documents and about the need for faster handling of representations from right hon. and hon. Members.

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