Visitor Admissions: Effect Of Visa Requirement

Lord Lucas of Chilworth
asked Her Majesty's Government:What information they have on the effects of the imposition of visas on admissions and of refusals of those seeking entry as visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Ghana.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)
The available information, comparing the first nine months of 1987 with the same period of 1986, for nationals of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ghana is given in the following table. Corresponding figures are not given for Nigeria because visas were not  introduced there until February 1987. Although there was no delay in issuing visitor visas, the numbers of visitors seeking admission fell—if at different rates—from each of the four countries between the first nine months of 1986 and 1987. Because of these falls and because of the limitations of the port refusal figures described in the second footnote to the table, refusal rates before and after visas were introduced cannot usefully be compared, particularly when it is too early to judge how far travel patterns have changed permanently. The Government will continue to monitor the situation.------------------------------
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|January to September 1986   |
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|January to September 1987(1)|
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|January to September 1986   |
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|January to September 1987(2)|
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|January to September 1986   |
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|January to September 1987   |
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