Britain Eases Immigration Laws

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28750, 22 November 1958, Page 13

Britain Eases Immigration Laws

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, November 20. Foreign writers and artists who were personally un- , objectionable, and who injvolved no security risk, < would be allowed to stay ■ in Britain as long as they , ’iked, if they could maintain themselves from their own ’ resources. j The Home Secretary (Mr i R. A. Butler) said this in 1 the House of Commons to- , night in announcing some ■ modifications of the British ■ [immigration laws. i At present there are restric- | tions on how long writers, artists' and other such persons may stay, i Mr Butler, who was speakinEl in a debate on British immigra- I tion laws, said Government policy ■ was to refuse admission for pur- < poses of employment to any alien! who had not secured a permit)'

from the Ministry of Labour and « National Service. 1 The right to permanent residence was conceded when it was 1 shown that this had been earned ■ by the individual concerned, and ’ was in the national interest. 1 But there were other aliens who ; wished to come for another pur- [ pose—such as writers and artists, ! for example—who could maintain [ themselves while they followed 1 their vocations. The home Secretary added: 1 “I think the time has come when we can take a little more helpful and less restrictive line In weljcoming these kind of people." I Another group to whom Mr But[ler made a concession were the widows and elderly parents of people of foreign origin. I Mr John Strachey (labour) said [he hoped the Home Secretary would now consider not only new cases, but reconsider old ones. I He said the American author, I |T. S. Eliot, now a naturalised ’

[Briton, would have been excluded under the regulations as they now stood. I Criticism of the British immigration laws was expressed oy many members. A Labour member. Mr Fenner Brockway, mentiond. in particular, the case of the German Lutheran Church leader, Pastor Martin Niemoller, who claimed he was treated at London airport by British immigration officers “like a suspect and a criminal.” Dr. Niemoller returned at once to Germany as a protest. Mr Butler said there was “no deep and sinister move" against the doctor and he regretted any misunderstanding that occurred.

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