HC Deb 20 July 2001 vol 372 cc676-7W
Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answers of 11 July 2001,Official Report columns 534–37W, on Commonwealth visitors, how many (a) Jamaican, (b) Barbadian, (c) Guyanese, (d) Canadian and (e) Australian visitors in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001 to the latest available date were (1) refused entry to the UK and (2) admitted with less than the maximum period of six months' leave; and how many people, from each country, admitted for less than six months, applied for extensions to stay as visitors. [5897]

Angela Eagle

Information on the total number of visitors refused leave to enter the United Kingdom is not available because refusals are recorded according to the reason for refusal and not according to the entry category (ie visitor, student, work permit holder). In addition, it is only possible to determine the number of visitors admitted. Information on the period of leave granted is not available. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 11 July 2001,Official Report, column 535W.

However, information is available on the number of refusals where the main reason for refusal was because the immigration officer was not satisfied the applicant was a genuine visitor. It does not include persons intending to enter as visitors, but refused entry on other grounds. This, along with information on the total number of persons refused leave to enter and removed is shown in Table 1.

Table 2 shows the number of decisions on extensions of leave to remain as a visitor, to persons that entered the United Kingdom as a visitor or admitted in another

Table 2: Grants and refusals of extensions of leave to remain as a visitor1 in the United Kingdom to persons having entered the country as a visitor2 or admitted in another category for less than six months, by selected nationality, January to September 20003 —United Kingdom
Number of decisions4
Jamaica Barbados Guyana Canada Australia
Grants of extension
Admitted as a visitor 940 10 20 20 60
Admitted in another category for less than six months 20 5 10 10
Total 960 10 20 30 70
Refusals of extension
Admitted as a visitor2 160 5 10 10 10
Admitted in another category for less than six months 10
Total 160 5 10 10 10
Total decisions
Admitted as a visitor2 1,090 10 20 30 60
Admitted in another category for less than six months 30 5 10 10
Total 1,120 10 20 40 70
1 Excludes dependents of principal applicants, the outcome of appeals, and withdrawn applications
2Includes students admitted for less than six months
3 Provisional
4Totals may not add up due to rounding. This is because all calculations are based on unrounded numbers to ensure accuracy
5Five or fewer

Note:

Data rounded to the nearest 10