RAPID GROWTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 212, 8 September 1938, Page 24

RAPID GROWTH.

SMUGGLING ALIENS.

AUTHORITIES ALARMED. » • FOLIOS CALL FOR CHECK. (Special.—By Air Mail.) LONDON, August 18. Considerable alarm is being felt in official quarters at the rapid growth — due to inadequate coast surveillance — of the smuggling of aliens into the country by foreign seamen. These nfen charge anything from £20 to £50 to land a person whom the immigration authorities ban, and ajtypical example of the ease of the process is illustrated by a London magistrate who witnessed the arrival at Pagham, Sussex, of three foreigners in a small boat.

Pagham is one of the most deserted spots on the coast, very convenient for boats to land, and far from any official supervision. The nearest coastguard stations are at Selsev (four to sir miles away) and at Littlehampton (six to seven miles).

"I went to the beach about 11.30 p.m. to meet friends who were due back from fishing," the magistrate, who is holidaying amid the Pagham bungalow colony, said. "I was ahput to leave when another boat, a little larger one, reached shore some 20 yards away.

"A sturdily built man, wearing a sailor's jersey and gum boots, hopped out and tugged the craft on to the pebbles. I asked if he had a good catch, and the reply came in a guttural English that it was a good one.

"I saw no fish, but I was not then suspicious. Three 'passengers'—all men —one carrying a kitbag and the other two a suitcase each, where then. helped ashore. I should have thought no more about it but that I saw the boatmen pulling hard to Bea.

"I followed the «« and get Into a waiting nu*«r car- Jgg I had a duty to the driver if he could give me a H» to Bognor. "The reply w ** * foreign language, and I wasjoshed off the "wWj I looked for the number p'thecaT^but "l rS£^th.t on the horizon, and that it had been near the same spot for hoar.. "That the three men were aliens landing without permission I have not the slightest doubt." Too Few Watchers. The inadequate policing of the coast which enabled human cargo to be landed openly without official inquiry or cognisance is felt to be disquieting from the point of view of national safety, since agents of foreign Powers can easily adopt this method of entry. At present, control over the entry of aliens is in the hands of the special branch of Scotland Yard and the immigration authorities, who are assisted by coast watchers and Customs officials, the latter, in turn, utilising a corps of coast preventive men. So scattered, however, are the coast watchers and the coast preventive men that stretches of coast remain open for 15 miles or more without supervision. Fifteen years ago the Board of Trade took control of the coastguard service from the Admiralty. Before that time Admiralty coastguards—whose numbers were greater —had the task not only of life-saving in respect of ships in dietress, but of protecting the revenue and defending the coasts . When the new coast-watchers' force replaced them in 1923 it was decided that continuous watch over the stretches of coast between the great ports was no longer necessary for revenue protection. To-day the coast watchers—small in numbers—are mainly concerned in lifesaving. Deterrent Sentence.

In view of the number of irregular landings, the police recently asked Mr. Herbert Metcalfe, the Old Street magistrate, to pass such t sentence as would act as a deterrent.

Mr. Metcalfe passed sentence of dx months' hard labour on the man before Idm, who pleaded guilty through an interpreter to a charge of having landed la this country without leave of an immigration officer.

The magistrate, recommending deportation, added dryly that be made the order "for what it was worth." He was echoing the opinion of such orders held by aliens officers and detectives of the special branch of Scotland Yard.

The special branch has been working for months in an endeavour to trace the organisation responsible for bringing a number of these people into the country.

The authorities know that the aliens who are landed from small vessels at out-of-the-way porta do not coine over unaided. They are given instructions beforehand, and tlteir means of travport is arranged. Unwanted Refugees. Most of them are White Russians, Poles and Jews unwanted in their own countries. If deportation orders are made against them they cannot be sent back, because the countries whence thev came will not take them. Other undesirables land in this country with week-end tickets. Some mar have permits to stay here for a short period on business or pleasure, but do not return when the permits expire. After serving prison sentences they are found work by friends, largely in the tailoring trade. Much of this work is done in private houses in the East End of London, giving the police little chance to check up on the personnel of the "establishment."