§ Lord Lucas of Chilworthasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have on the effects of the imposition of visas on admissions and of refusals of those seeking entry as visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Ghana.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)The available information, comparing the first nine months of 1987 with the same period of 1986, for nationals of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ghana is given in the following table. Corresponding figures are not given for Nigeria because visas were not 983WA introduced there until February 1987. Although there was no delay in issuing visitor visas, the numbers of visitors seeking admission fell—if at different rates—from each of the four countries between the first nine months of 1986 and 1987. Because of these falls and because of the limitations of the port refusal figures described in the second footnote to the table, refusal rates before and after visas were introduced cannot usefully be compared, particularly when it is too early to judge how far travel patterns have changed permanently. The Government will continue to monitor the situation.
VISITOR ADMISSIONS AND REFUSALS, 1986-7 Bangladesh India Pakistan Ghana Visitor admissions January to September 1986 9,280 141,090 69,590 21,120 January to September 1987(1) 7,200 118,200 52,200 14,000 Initial refusals (all categories) at the ports January to September 1986 1,180 3,450 2,070 1,440 January to September 1987(2) 1,080 660 390 480 Visitors refused entry clearance abroad January to September 1986 380 150 30 n/a January to September 1987 1,340 3,880 5,470 1,920 (1) Estimates based on admissions in January to August grossed up using the pattern of admissions in 1986. (2) Almost entirely persons who had arrived before mid-October 1986 but who, due to backlogs at the ports, were not "initially refused" until 1987 (these refusals cannot be differentiated in the figures); and persons without a visa, for which there was no equivalent category of refusal in 1986.