§ Mr. ShersbyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent the continued influx of unaccompanied children departing from airports in Eritrea without valid entry visas for the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAll immigrant minors are required to obtain prior entry clearance. All posts in the area—Addis Ababa, Kampala, Khartoum, Sana'a and58W Nairobi—have been alerted to the risk of unaccompanied minors travelling to the United Kingdom and instructed to ensure that visas are not issued to minors to travel alone. We have reminded airlines of the penalties they will incur under the Immigration (Carriers Liability) Act if they carry passengers without the correct documentation or entry clearance. This penalty has recently been increased to £2,000 per passenger.
§ Mr. ShersbyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to foreign governments with a view to ensuring that airport and airline officials overseas do not permit passengers to embark on aircraft without valid entry visas or other official travel documents.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and I are exploring, with the co-operation of host Governments and airlines, ways to improve document checks at certain overseas airports including the provision of document specialists to advise carriers about the authenticity of travel documents.
§ Mr. ShersbyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place between British posts overseas and church missionaries and other similar persons concerning the encouragement of would-be asylum seekers and/or their unaccompanied children to come to the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have no record of any such discussions.