ation
260
arrive at estimates were subject to Because
error.
, the survey does e estimate to be of overstayers, as
of the survey.
hment announced st year that plans support for the departures were e plans will be and should do ems. Meanwhile, nclusions can be
ws that we have bout the effective- ures. The survey ng occurs to an further develop- le it. Secondly, is unrealistic to overstayer to be on at ports of
· control on entry for effective con- e who enter and try measures are ent that its re- Office-with the improving the ases of overstay- help and co-
ssons have been and handling of on cards. To cks on the em- as effective as cards which are is being reduced. ʼn able to take sof overstaying
proposed
new
y the passenger ing here for a his real inten- y for settlement. this much more tudents will not other temporary hit the prospect Visitors will be g employment. hit of one year that in future
261
4 DECEMBER 1979
Immigration people will not be able to come in as visitors or students and once here apply to remain for work or to set up in business, or as a self-employed person or as a person of independent means. It will be more difficult for people who are here for temporary purposes to dig them- selves in with a view to overstaying and evading the control.
To set
business up in
or self- employment, applicants will need to pro- duce evidence that they have a reasonable sum of capital available for investment here and that their activities are likely to generate employment in this country for people already settled here. The capital sum required will be £100,000.
Persons of independent means will also have to show more than that they have substantial resources. They will have to show some special connection with this country, or that their entry would be in our interests. Entry clearance will be needed beforehand in all these cases.
We believe that it is right and proper in the new Immigration Rules to place something of a premium upon honest and straightforward dealings with us. A num- ber of changes are directed to this end. For instance, it will be made clear that a person who holds an entry clearance for which he does not qualify, or which he obtained by deception, will be liable to be refused entry. An immigration officer, when considering whether to grant leave to enter, will be empowered to take account of a passenger's previous immi- gration history. Any application to remain in this country may be refused if it is from an overstayer or from someone who employed deception to secure entry. These and similar restrictions will inhibit people from switching the basis of their stay in order to prolong it and perhaps finally to gain settlement.
It is right for me to say something about the changes that we shall introduce to prevent people from coming here to exploit our social services. Throughout the draft rules are requirements that per- sons admitted in various categories should not have recourse to public funds. Where there are requirements in the rules that a sponsor in the United Kingdom should be willing and able to maintain and accommodate his dependants, we may in future seek an undertaking to that effect.
16 H 27
Immigration
262
The rules on political asylum and re- fugees will be amended to bring them more closely into line with the provisions of the convention relating to the status of refugees and with current practice. Power will be taken to require a student in receipt of an award from his Govern- ment or an official agency to leave the United Kingdom on completion of the studies for which the award was made. Suhc awards are often made with a view to scarce skills or qualifications becoming available to developing countries which are desperately short of them. It is rea- sonable that a student in receipt of such an award should be required to put his new qualifications to the use intended.
New provisions relating to au pair girls will restrict the arrangement to nationals of Western European countries. We shall impose an age limit and stronger controls on their taking employment. These changes will deal with some wide- The rules on working spread abuses. holidaymakers will similarly provide for an age limit of 25 and an aggregate time limit of two years.
I shall mention briefly the position of work permit holders. I remind the House of the written statement on 14 November by my hon. and learned Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Employment setting out more stringent criteria for the issue of work permits. In the immigra- tion rules, we have reviewed, as recom- mended by the Select Committee, the categories of employment for which work permits are not required. We have also introduced an entry clearance require- ment for some of them. Prohibitions have been introduced on the employment of dependants both of work permit holders
and of students.
The measures that I have described, and which are set out in detail in the White Paper, are necessary and reason- able. People have a right to expect that primary immigration should, in view of the other claims on us, be kept to an That is what the absolute minimum.
Their Government's proposals will do. numerical effect, when they come fully into operation, will be to reduce recent levels of immigration by about 3,000 or 4,000 a year. Moreover, some actual or potential sources of primary immigra tion which might in turn lead to further immigration under the existing rules will
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