§ Mr. HopeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional authorisations he has made under section 19D of the Race Relations Act 1976. [160122]
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§ Mrs. RocheIn the light of evidence about the particular risks posed to the effective operation of our immigration controls by some members of certain ethnic groups, I have made an authorisation permitting members of the Immigration Service to discriminate, where necessary, in the examination of passengers belonging to the following ethnic or national groups: Tamils, Kurds, Pontic Greeks, Roma, Somalis, Albanians, Afghans and ethnic Chinese presenting a Malaysian or Japanese passport or any other travel document issued by Malaysia or Japan.
The decision on a passenger's entitlement to enter the United Kingdom will continue to be taken on the merits of the case in accordance with the Immigration Rules. The authorisation simply allows the Immigration Service to prioritise and manage its resources effectively in undertaking examinations necessary in order to reach that decision.
The Race Monitor to be appointed under section 19E of the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended) will report to Parliament via the Secretary of State on the likely effect of authorisations made by Ministers and on how they are operated in practice by officials.
A copy of the additional authorisation has been placed in the Library. Any future additional or amended authorisations will also be placed in the Library.