HC Deb 04 July 1989 vol 156 cc95-6W
Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration officers are operating in Turkey; what is the purpose of their presence there; and what are their duties.

Mr. Renton

One chief immigration officer and seven immigration officers are working in Istanbul and three immigration officers are working in Ankara. They are serving as entry clearance officers dealing with visa applications at the consulate general and embassy respectively.

Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of applications made for asylum by persons coming from Turkey in each week since I April to the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Renton

Information is not readily available about asylum applications from persons coming from Turkey. The number of applications made by Turkish nationals on or shortly after arrival in this country from all countries was as follows:

Week ending Number
8 April 23
15 April 29
22 April 83
29 April 74
6 May 326
13 May 198
20 May 366
27 May 335
3 June 345
10 June 482
17 June 579
24 June 883

Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions have been issued to immigration officers(a) operating in Turkey and (b) on boarding planes recently arrived from Turkey before passengers disembark; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Renton

Immigration officers operating in Turkey are working to the same instructions as entry clearance officers in other diplomatic posts abroad. During the period when immigration officers were boarding aircraft on arrival from Turkey their instructions were to ensure first that all British and other European Community nationals were able to disembark immediately. They were then to identify, as far as possible, those remaining passengers who seemed unlikely to require lengthy examination with a view to allowing them to proceed quickly to the main immigration control. Those likely to require lengthy examination were disembarked and dealt with separately, so as to avoid excessive delays and inconvenience to other passengers arriving at the main control.