asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will state, for each of the raids conducted by the police and immigration officers at Bestways on 13th May, the Hilton Hotel on 22nd May, and the Main Gas appliance factory on 20th June, and for any other such raids since the beginning of 1980 the number of persons taken into custody, and within the totals, the number of United Kingdom citizens, the number charged with offences under the immigration laws, the number detained as illegal entrants under the powers of the Immigration Act 1971, the number found guilty of offences against the immigration laws, the number deported without being charged with any offence, the number whose cases have still to be dealt with, and the total number of police and immigration man-hours involved respectively.
The available information relating to the joint police-immigration service operations earlier this year at the Bestway Cash and Carry premises, the Hilton Hotel and the Main Gas factory at Edmonton is set out below. In every case those arrested were arrested either in connection with their immigration status (either illegal entry, overstaying or breach of landing conditions) or in respect of possible charges of facilitating illegal entry or harbouring illegal entrants or over-stayers.
Bestway Cash and Carry and associated premises
Thirty-seven people were arrested and taken to Kilburn or Kensington police stations. Of 17 people taken to Kilburn police station, two were illegal entrants, two were overstayers in respect of whom detention orders were subsequently issued, one was charged as an overstayer and one was charged with working in breach of conditions. Of 20 people taken to Kensington, three were illegal entrants. Of those arrested a total of nine were found to be patrials and 19 were non-patrials whose immigration status was in order. In total, 26 police officers and 19 members of the immigration service took part in the operation.
Hilton Hotel
Thirty-five people were arrested. Eight were found to be illegal entrants, 13 were found to be overstayers, six were working in breach of conditions, three were subject to deportation orders and one was a seaman deserter. Of those arrested two were patrials and two were non-patrials whose immigration status was found to be in order. Sixteen immigration officers and about 60 police officers were involved in this operation.
Main Gas
Twenty-eight people were arrested, of whom 12 were found to be illegal entrants, 14 were found to be overstayers and two were working in breach of their conditions. Three other people were also arrested and later released. The 31 people arrested comprised 25 Ghanaians, two Pakistanis, two Nigerians, one Jamaican and one citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies. Of the three people arrested whose immigration status was found to be in order, one was a patrial and two were non-patrials. Twenty-two immigration officers and 79 police officers were involved in this operation.