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Immigration

Volume 78: debated on Monday 29 April 1985

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asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for each year since 1973, how many applications were received for settlement in the United Kingdom, by nationality of applicant; and, for each nationality, what were the reasons for application, the numbers admitted or refused admission and the reasons for refusal of admission, and the average waiting time between application and interview and between interview and admission;(2) for each year since 1973, how many applications for settlement in the United Kingdom were received from husbands or fiancés of women settled in the United Kingdom; what were the nationalities of the men concerned; and, for each nationality, what were the numbers admitted or refused admission and the reasons for the refusal of admission.

The readily available information is as follows.Information on applications for entry clearance leading to settlement in the United Kingdom is available only for the Indian sub-continent from 1977 and is given up to 1983 in tables 5 to 9 of the latest annual Command Paper "Control of Immigration Statistics: United Kingdom 1983" (Cmnd 9246). Corresponding information for 1984 is given in tables 8 to 10 of Statistical Bulletin 5/85 "Control of Immigration: Statistics—Fourth Quarter and Year 1984" and in tables 1 and 2 following. The waiting times given are to the first interview; applications are decided at the first interview unless further enquiries need to be made or a refusal is followed by an appeal, in which case the time taken depends on the particular circumstances of the application.Reasons for refusals of applications are available only for husbands and male fiancés from 1983 and are given in table 3. Information for all countries on the numbers of persons admitted to and granted settlement in the United Kingdom is published annually by nationality and category in the Command paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics" (Tables 1 to 4 of the latest issue), the 1984 issue is due to be published in June.

Table 3
Reasons for refusal of entry clearance for leave to enter the United Kingdom for husbands and male fiancés in the Indian sub-continent
Number of persons*
HusbandsMale fiancésTotal
198319841983198419831984
Primary purpose of the marriage was to obtain admission to the United Kingdom
(a) Solely for this reason80220420660500890
(b) In combination with one or more other reasons10102108022090
Solely because couple did not intend to live together10+10+10+
Solely because couple had not met+1001010010
Solely because wife/fiancé was not a British citizen302030106030
Other reasons and combinations202040706090
Total†1502808108409701,120
* Rounded to the nearest 10; + indicates 5 or fewer; −indicates nil.
† The total includes a small number of cases for which the reason for refusal was not recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of passengers detained overnight under Immigration Act powers during 1984, by nationality; and whether he will give, for each nationality the proportion of total passengers so detained.

The information requested, excluding the numbers of those detained in Queen's building, Heathrow for which similar information is not available, is as follows:

NationalityNumber detained overnightNumber of persons detained per 1,000 arrivals of that nationality
Afghanistan3*
Algeria502·25
Antigua3*
Argentina80·60
Australia130·04
Austria110·10
Bahamas1*

Table 1

Applications for entry clearances for immediate settlement made by wives, children and others in the Indian sub-continent by category of applicant, 1984

Number of persons

Newly received

Granted

Refused

Outstanding at the end of 1984

Wives5,3703,7101,1605,100
Children9,6205,3003,83013,100
Other dependant relatives1,1504503601,100
Others for settlement110801060

Table 2

Applications for entry clearances for leave to enter the United Kingdom made by husbands and male fiancés in the Indian sub-continent by country 1984

Newly received

Granted

Refused

Outstanding at the end of 1984

Bangladesh1002020230
India1,4006406601,400
Pakistan1,3006804401,700

Nationality

Number detained overnight

Number of persons detained per 1,000 arrivals of that nationality

Bangladesh1576·40
Barbados10·12
Benin1

*

Bermuda2

*

Bolivia2

*

Brazil120·23
British Overseas citizens30·18
Bulgaria10·29
Cameroon3

*

Canada60·01
Cape Verde1

*

Central African Republic1

*

Chile60·48
China101·15
Colombia572·70
Cuba1010·09
Cyprus180·51
Denmark1

*

Dominica2

*

Ecuador2

*

Nationality

Number detained overnight

Number of persons detained per 1,000 arrivals of that nationality

Egypt70·12
Ethiopia81·17
Finland50·06
France3

*

Gambia41

*

Germany (FRG)8

*

Ghana71620·12
Greece16

*

Grenada1

*

Guyana40·67
Holland4

*

Hong Kong (BDTC)420·75
Iceland3

*

India4542·33
Indonesia30·20
Iran1382·32
Iraq602·98
Israel960·66
Italy5

*

Ivory Coast6

*

Jamaica110·38
Japan30·01
Jordan120·45
Kenya160·62
Korea (South)22

*

Kuwait10·03
Lebanon200·48
Liberia5

*

Libya587·39
Malawi1

*

Malaysia250·33
Mali2

*

Malta150·41
Mauritius70·38
Mexico100·26
Morocco492·73
Mozambique5

*

Nepal3

*

New Zealand50·06
Nicaragua1

*

Nigeria7414·31
Norway40·02
Oman1

*

Palistan5064·73
Peru50·57
Philippines642·41
Poland200·52
Portugal831·06
Romania61·90
St. Lucia1

*

Saudi Arabia100·18
Senegal2

*

Seychelles1

*

Sierra Leone172·33
Singapore50·14
Somalia42·39
South Africa60·05
Spain1130·38
Sri Lanka1565·09
Sudan180·91
Surinam2

*

Sweden110·03
Switzerland100·04
Syria221·30
Tanzania121·00
Thailand90·44
Togo1

*

Tunisia504·58
Turkey1432·82
Trinidad and Tobago20·90
Uganda273·34
Uruguay20·56
USA1130·04
USSR20·21

Nationality

Number detained overnight

Number of persons detained per 1,000 arrivals of that nationality

Venezuela60·60
Yemen6

*

Yugoslavia200·55
Zaire2

*

Zambia80·71
Zimbabwe140·94
Nationality doubtful470·64
Total4,5480·59

* Separate totals are not kept of arriving passengers of these nationalities; in aggregate the proportion of these nationals detained was 0·74 per 1,000 arivals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review of the instructions for the staff of the immigration and nationality department to be completed; and whether he will publish the results.

We are pressing ahead with the review but my right hon. and learned Friend cannot set a date for its completion. The possibility of publication of some of the instructions will be considered as part of the review.