Commons Approves Measures To Control Immigration

Press, Volume C, Issue 29674, 18 November 1961, Page 11

Commons Approves Measures To Control Immigration

(N JZJP.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, November 17. The British Government’s plans to control Commonwealth immigration to Britain were endorsed last night by the House of Commons. The Government proposals chiefly afiect the West Indies, India and Pakistan.

After a lively and at times noisy debate, in which Labour members shouted “colour bar” and “shame,” the Commons rejected an Opposition move to reject a bill giving the Government powers by 284 votes to 200. Citizens from the Irish Republic will not come under the immigration control to be applied to people from the Commonwealth.

Kingdom itself—that is, against Northern Ireland and Belfast,” he said. “I feel certain that to insist that all passengers to Northern Ireland should carry passports and be subject to examination would present us with a political and practical problem as severe as that which emerges from our decision not to impose control against the citizens of the Republic."

He has said it was estimated that about 50,000 a year came from Canada, Australia and New Zealand, while the number coming for the first time in any one year from Eire was between 60.000 and 70,000. A new factor in the last eight years or so was immigration from the West Indies, India, Pakistan. Cyprus and to a lesser extent Africa. Eden and Hong Kong Immigration from these sources rose to 113,000 in the first 10 months of this year. About 57.000 were from the West Indies and about 19,000 each from India and Pakistan.

The Home Secretary (Mr R. A. Butler) conceded that the decision could be misunderstood, but he claimed the Government’s decision, was right Mr Butler made it clear the Government reserved the right to impose the controls should it be necessary in the future, in spite of the difficulties Involved.

Anxious Commonwealth immigrants went to the House of Commons yesterday to lobby members of Parliament before the debate began. Deputations of immigrants, both coloured and whites, spoke to M-P.’s before they went into the House for the second reading. Coloured immigrants from’ the West Indies, India and Pakistan mingled in the central lobby with immigrants from the Irish Republic. They spoke mostly to Labour members. Mr Butler was subjected to noisy outbursts from Labour when be gave figures of immigration from Asian and African Commonwealth countries.

The total number of these new immigrants, including children born to them in Britain, was believed now to be at a level of about 500,000 Labour members protested that Mr Butler had not said anything about the number of those who had gone back They wanted the figures after that had been taken into account

Explaining the difficulties of controlling Irish immigration, Mr Butler said that if the Government did, it would have to operate control against a large number of British citizens who used the Irish ports. “If we are to operate a control against the citizens of the Irish Republic we should have to institute a control within the United

Mr Butler said he did not have the figures with him, but later be informed the House that the net total of

immigrants from Common* wealth countries other than Canada, Australia, New Zea* land and South Africa since the end of World War II was believed to exceed 400,000. No record was kept of the number emigrating from Britain. Giving details of proposed controls, Mr Butler said vouchers would be issued to those with a job to go to or who possess the training, skill or educational qualifications likely to be useful.