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Palestine Liberation Organisation

Volume 19: debated on Monday 1 March 1982

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asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria he adopts when deciding whether to permit entry into the United Kingdom for visits or speaking engagements by prominent spokesmen of the various Palistinian guerrilla organisations joined under the collective banner of the Palestine Liberation Organisation; how many such spokesman have been refused entry over the last two years on the grounds that their presence would not be conducive to the public good; and how many have been admitted.

I take account of all the relevant circumstances including whether the persons concerned qualify for entry as visitors under the general provisions of the immigration rules, and the security considerations.One official of a group within the Palestine Liberation Organisation has been refused a visa within the last two years on the grounds that his exclusion was conducive to the public good. We do not keep particulars of persons admitted to this country in a way that would provide the information requested in the last part of the question.