Minister
PS/Mr Lace
Rive
25/6
Private Secretary
retar
DOVERING CONFIDENTIAL
State
Secretary if
(33)
A
B
INDIAN ALLEGATIONS OF HARASSMENT AT HEATHROW
1. When the Secretary of State met the Indian Foreign Secretary in New Delhi on 17 January, Mr Rao renewed the perennial complaint of harassment of Indians at Heathrow (see paragraph 13 of attached record). In order to persuade the Indians that their people receive the same treatment as others and to let them see some of the problems which Immigration Officers have to face, we invited the Acting Indian High Commissioner to Heathrow to witness the processing of passengers from India. Dr Singh, accompanied by his Minister (Consular) and a First Secretary, went to Heathrow on 11 June.
Mr Gatty and I were present. I attach a note recording the visit.
2. Following this visit, the Immigration Service have arranged with the Indian High Commission a procedure to be followed when the High Commission wish to make representations in a particular case. They have been given the telephone number of a Chief Immigration Officer and been assured that their representations will be considered at no lower than Inspector level. It is hoped that this will go some way to mitigate Indian complaints. We shall brief Ministers to refer to this exercise when they next meet Indian counterparts.
24 June 1980
Cc:
PS/Mr Blaker PS/PUS
Head of SAD Head of MVD
James yes.
W J Adams
LV9 341/22
REJETRIN TARE
MERK
30 JUN1920