HC Deb 25 July 1991 vol 195 cc800-5W
Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for entry clearance from(a) wives, (b) husbands, (c) fiances and (d) fiancés made at British posts in (i) New Delhi, (ii) Bombay, (iii) Calcutta, (iv) Madras, (v) Dhaka, (vi) Islamabad, (vii) Karachi and (viii) Colombo for each quarter since January 1990 were (1) received, (2) granted and (3) refused; how many refusals at each post were (A) wholly and (B) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the primary purpose of the marriage was not immigration; how many refusals at each post were (x) wholly and (y) partly because the visa officer was not satisfied that the couple could support and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds; what was the refusal rate at each post; and what percentage of those refusals were (I) wholly and (II) partly on primary purpose grounds.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

[holding answer 24 July 1991]: Information for the Indian sub-continent for the whole of 1990 and, where available, for the first quarter of 1991 is given in the tables. Where the numbers are small, the figeures for individual posts have been combined. To keep down the cost, only annual data for 1990 have been given. For information for the first quarter of 1990, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 26 July 1990 at columns 468–72.

Information on refusals which takes account of successful appeals is not compiled for periods shorter than 12 months. Corresponding information for Colombo is not available centrally.

Husbands
1st quarter 2nd quarter 1990 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1991 1st quarter
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received1 620 490 420 410 1,950 560
Applications granted2 210 200 230 350 1,000 390
Applications refused initially 530 370 270 380 1,550 410
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 53 n.a.
Number of persons or percentage
Fiances
1st quarter 2nd quarter 1990 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1991 1st quarter
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received1 80 60 60 40 230 50
Applications granted2 30 20 10 20 80 20
Applications refused initially 30 20 20 40 110 40
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 56 n.a.
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received1 80 60 40 40 220 70
Applications granted2 60 40 20 20 150 10
Applications refused initially 30 50 30 50 160 30
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 40 n.a.
Dhaka
Applications received1 10 4— 4— 4— 20 4—
Applications granted2 4— 4— 4— 4— 10 4—
Applications refused initially 10 4— 4— 4— 20 4—
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 72 n.a.
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received1 110 80 60 60 310 70
Applications granted2 60 40 60 70 230 50
Applications refused initially 210 110 100 80 500 70
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 60 n.a.
Number of persons or percentage
Wives
1st quarter 2nd quarter 1990 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1991 1st quarter
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received1 180 190 140 140 660 200
Applications granted2 160 160 170 170 660 130
Applications refused initially 10 20 30 30 100 20
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 12 n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received1 460 280 200 250 1,210 450
Applications granted2 270 210 370 250 1,100 320
Applications refused initially 20 20 30 30 110 30
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 9 n/a
Dhaka
Applications received1 310 320 330 270 1,240 240
Applications granted2 350 350 350 200 1,250 240
Applications refused initially 90 60 70 50 270 30
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 6 n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received1 920 650 670 560 2,800 800
Applications granted2 660 700 860 730 2,950 890
Applications refused initially 120 100 60 70 340 90
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 11 n/a
Number of persons or percentage
Fiancees
1st quarter 2nd quarter 1990 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1991 1st quarter
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Applications received1 60 70 60 50 240 50
Applications granted2 50 20 20 60 150 40
Fiancees
1st quarter 2nd quarter 1990 3rd quarter 4th quarter Year 1991 1st quarter
Applications refused initially 20 4— 10 20 50 30
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 24 n/a
Bombay (including Madras)
Applications received1 70 40 40 40 200 50
Applications received2 40 30 20 40 130 30
Applications refused initially 10 10 10 10 40 10
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 22 n/a
Dhaka
Applications received1 10 4— 10 10 30 10
Applications granted2 4— 10 4— 4— 20 4—
Applications refused initially 4— 4— 4— 4— 4— 4—
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 6 n/a
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Applications received1 50 50 50 40 190 50
Applications granted>2 60 40 60 40 200 50
Applications refused initially 10 10 10 10 40 4—
Refusal rate (percentage)3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 16 n/a
1 Including applications subsequently withdrawn or lapsed
2 Granted initially or on appeal
3 Applications refused initially, minus applications granted on appeal, as a percentage of applications decided
4 5 or fewer
n/a = not available
Table 2
Spouses and fiance(e) in the Indian Sub-continent refused1 entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom in 1990
Number of persons or percentage
Number refused because couple could not accommodate and/or maintain themselves without recourse to public funds: Number refused because primary purpose of the marriage was to obtain admission to the United Kingdom: Primary purpose refusals as a percentage of all refusals:
Solely for these Partly for these reasons Solely for this reason Partly for this reason Solely on primary purpose grounds Partly on primary purpose grounds
New Delhi (including Calcutta)
Husbands — 10 60 10 53 10
Fiances 4— 10 60 10 60 12
Wives 10 10 50 4— 57 3
Fiancees — 10 60 10 49 28
Bombay (including Madras)
Husbands 4— 10 150 10 92 4
Fiances 4— 4— 100 10 86 8
Wives 10 4— 60 4— 59 2
Fiancees 4— 4— 20 4— 59 5
Dhaka
Husbands 10 60 220 60 70 18
Fiances — 10 10 10 241 235
Wives 40 30 4— 10 2 5
Fiancees — — — — 3— 3—
Islamabad (including Karachi)
Husbands 30 700 390 690 34 60
Fiances 4— 190 120 210 34 60
Wives 90 40 20 20 11 12
Fiancees 4— 10 10 10 19 24
Total Indian sub-continent
Husbands 30 770 820 770 47 44
Fiances 4— 200 280 230 49 41
Wives 140 70 130 30 25 6
Fiancees 10 20 50 10 42 20
1 Applications refused initially, minus applications granted on appeal.
2 Percentage based on fewer than 15 applications refused.
3 Percentage not calculated for five or fewer applications refused.
4 Five or fewer, or ½ per cent, or less.

Mr. Darling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for settlement by wives and children in(a) Dhaka and (b) Islamabad

were (i) received, (ii) granted, (iii) refused, (iv) deferred at first interview, (v) lapsed and (vi) outstanding and information requested is given in the table. beginning of 1990.

Wives and children applying for entry clearance for settlement in the United Kingdom1
Number of persons
Applications
Post Newly received2 Granted3 Refused initially4 Referred or deferred5 Withdrawn or lapsed4 A waiting first interview at end of quarter
Dhaka
1990
1st quarter 1,320 1,570 520 470 280 1,600
2nd quarter 1,190 1,650 380 6— 240 1,300
3rd quarter 1,110 1,330 360 6— 160 1,100
4th quarter 980 650 200 6— 20 1,500
1991
1st quarter 640 940 220 6— 50 1,300
Islamabad
1990
1st quarter 1,190 990 250 640 100 1,700
2nd quarter 860 1,050 200 6— 60 1,400
3rd quarter 890 1,170 130 6— 40 1,200
4th quarter 840 1,190 180 6— 40 1,000
1991
1st quarter 980 1,240 160 6— 60 1,300
Karachi
1990
1st quarter 100 60 10 10 7— 70
2nd quarter 70 80 7— 6— 7— 50
3rd quarter 80 70 10 6— 10 50
4th quarter 60 50 — 6— 7— 50
1991
1st quarter 80 40 7— 6— — 100
1 Including all persons applying for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode in the United Kingdom.
2 Data include some double counting in respect of applications recorded initially for entry clearance and then subsequently for a certificate of entitlement.
3 Granted initially or on appeal.
4 Since about the end of 1989, settlement applications have been refused in the circumstances where previously they would have been lapsed.
5 Referred to the Home Office for decision or deferred for further inquiries.
6 Data discontinued from May 1990.
1 Five or fewer.