§ Mr. Norrisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of those seeking entry to the United Kingdom as visitors in the last period for which figures are available come from Pakistan; and what proportion are refused;
(2) what proportion of those seeking entry to the United Kingdom as visitors in the last period for which figures are available come from Sri Lanka; and what proportion are refused;
(3) what proportion of those seeking entry to the United Kingdom as visitors in the last period for which figures are available come from Canada; and what proportion are refused;
(4) what proportion of those seeking entry to the United Kingdom as visitors in the last period for which figures are available come from Nigeria; and what proportion were refused;
(5) what proportion of those seeking entry to the United Kingdom as visitors in the last period for which figures are available come from Ghana; and what proportion were refused;
(6) what proportion of those seeking entry to the United Kingdom as visitors in the last period for which figures are available come from the United States of America; and what proportion were refused;
(7) what proportion of those seeking entry to the United Kingdom as visitors in the last period for which figures are available come from Bangladesh; and what proportion are refused;
(8) what proportion of those seeking entry to the United Kingdom as visitors in the latest period for which figures are available came from India; and what proportion were refused.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe table gives, for the 12 months ending June 1985, the numbers of passengers of each of the nationalities requested admitted as visitors to the United Kingdom expressed as a percentage of all non-European Community nationals admitted as visitors. It also gives the refusal rate for each nationality (that is the numbers of passengers of that nationality refused entry and removed from the United Kingdom expressed as a percentage of all passengers of that same nationality seeking entry). The statistics on refusals do not distinguish passengers seeking entry as visitors.
Nationality Number, admitted as visitors as a percentage of all non-EC nationals so admitted Number refused and removed as a percentage of all arrivals for nationality Pakistan 1.2 1.3 Sri Lanka 0.3 1.7 Canada 6.1 * Nigeria 2.1 1.3 Ghana 0.4 3.7 United States of America 39.2 * Bangladesh 0.1 2.1 India 2.6 0.8 * Negligible.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were awaiting entry certificates in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, respectively, in 1979; and what were the corresponding numbers at the latest date.
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§ Mr. WaddingtonThe information requested is given in the following table:
Persons awaiting a decision on their application for entry clearance to the United Kingdom* Indian sub-continent Number End December 1979 End September 1985 Pakistan 14,900 7,400 India 8,500 3,000 Bangladesh 21,300 12,800 TOTAL 44,700 23,200 * For immediate settlement or temporary admission, including those who have been interviewed but whose application remains undetermined.
§ Mr. Chapmanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government intend introducing legislation to seek to make it a continuing offence for a person subject to immigration control to remain in the United Kingdom when he knows that his limited leave to be here has expired.
§ Mr. HurdYes. The Immigration Act 1971 provides that a person who is not a British citizen shall be liable to deportation from the United Kingdom if, having only a limited leave to enter or remain, he remains beyond the time limited by the leave, that is he overstays. The Act also provides that such a person commits an offence if he knowingly overstays. A person who is convicted of such an offence may, if he has attained the age of 17, be recommended for deportation by a court. The Government believe that in the case of a person who knowingly overstays it is preferable, rather than use the administrative deportation powers, that he should normally be prosecuted and if appropriate, deported from the United Kingdom following a court recommendation. However, the House of Lords held in Grant v. Borg in 1982 that the offence of overstaying can be committed only on the day immediately after the leave expires. Accordingly, it is intended that legislation should be introduced in the lifetime of this Parliament to the effect that the offence is committed on the day when the overstayer first knows that his leave has expired and that it continues to be committed throughout any period during which he remains in the United Kingdom thereafter.