COMMONWEALTH MIGRANTS TO U.K.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 13

COMMONWEALTH MIGRANTS TO U.K.

44 Curbs Certain After Conservative Vote”

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright} LONDON, October 12. For the first time in history’ the free flow of immigrant* to Britain from Commonwealth countries was to be checked by law, the “Daily Express” reported. This was the Government’s firm decision, the report said, as a result of the big majority at the Conservative Party conference at Brighton yesterday supporting a motion calling for urgent Government action. The Home Secretary (Mr Butler) would introduce a bill on immigration soon after the return of Parliament this month, the report said.

It would make no discrimination between white and coloured immigrants. But applicants for entry would be subject to a health check, and a previous criminal record would rule them out. Unless they had independent means, they would have to satisfy the Ministry of Labour that a job was waiting for them. The bill would also give Mr Butler powers to deport undesirables. The report said the drastic precedent was prompted by the immense recent influx of West Indians into Britain —50.000 last year and double that number expected in 1901. The report said Mr Butler told party delegates that, if serious unemployment ever returned to Britain, a policy of unrestricted immigration could lead to severe racial trouble. Only about 100 out of 4000 delegates voted against the resolution Mr Butler told the conference Britain might consider restricting immigration from the Commonwealth to those who can prove they have independent means, a job to come to, or that there is a need for their services. The scheme was mentioned by the Home Secretary after the conference had asked the

Government to take quick action on the problem of uncontrolled immigration. Mr Butler emphasised that whatever the Government decided to do it had no inintention of introducing legislation based on colour. Mr Butler said that during the last 10 years there had been a great increase in the number of immigrants from the West Indies, India and Pakistan. A Middlesex delegate, Mr David Clarke, said that in 1958 there had been 15,000 West Indian immigrants. In the first six months of this year there had been 43.700. He suggested that everyone coming into Britain should have adequate housing accommodation available and a clean bill of health. The majority should have jobs waiting. All immigrants ought to have an absolutely clean record with regard to criminal proceedings, and no-one with a criminal record should be allowed to enter. Any immigrant committing a criminal offence should be deported. Among those who opposed the suggestion was a delegate who suggested that with it Britain would be following in the footsteps of South Africa. Others said that

immigrants made a valuable contribution to Britain’s economy. Last night three members of the Movement for Colonial Freedom two of them Labour members of Parliament—eaid that restriction* on immigration were in tact the result of a campaign waged against coloured immigrants. In a statement, the three. Mr Fenner Brockway, Mr John Stonehouse, and Mr John Eber, said Mr Butler’s suggestion was based particularly on the figures of West Indian immigration. "Suggestions that there should be work awaiting immigrants on their entry to this country pays scant regard to the grave unemployment existing in many parts of the Commonwealth, whose economies are inseparably bound up with those of Britain," the statement said. "Proposed restrictions are particularly unfortunate when, on the eve of our entry into the Common Market, we have the prospect of free movement of labour within Europe and yet we now propose restrictions on the people* of our own Commonwealth. “A decision to introduce such legislation represents an obvious capitulation to those who wish to see a colour bar in Britain," the statement said. It said that a meeting had been arranged for November “to register public opposition to such proposal* to limit immigration and to underline the real character of Mr Butler’s suggestion. ”