Asians Challenge British Law

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32221, 13 February 1970, Page 13

Asians Challenge British Law

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, February 12. Britain faces an influx of East Africa's unwanted Asians willing to become human shuttlecocks, like the Kenya Indian girl, Miss Rnajan Vaid, to bring pressure to bear on the Government to admit them into the country.

Mr Praful Patel, secretary of the Committee on United Kingdom Citizenship, which champions immigrants’ rights said yesterday that there would be many more testcases challenging the new Commonwealth immigration laws after the Government’s decision reversal to grant Miss Vaid temporary residence. “It seems that one has to serve a shuttlecock apprenticeship before being allowed into this country,” Mr Patel told reporters. “The whole situation is ridiculous, and a constitutional absurdity.” Miss Vaid, who holds a British passport flew about 20,009 miles from airport to airport after she had been refused entry to Britain from Kenya because she did not have an entry permit. No other country would accept her, and Britain eventually agreed to allow her in for three months “to regulate her affairs.” Mr Patel said that five Kenya Asians out of 11 who had been turned back at London Airport recently and had flown to Paris, returned by sea to Dover yesterday and were detained by the immigration authorities. Like Miss Vaid, they had British passports but no entry certificate, as required by the Commonwealth immigration laws. The five had been taken to Canterbury Prison to join 18 compatriots already there. Mr Patel said that the com-

mittee, which includes members of Parliament, had information that about 60 Asians had left Kenya last week to try to get into Britain, and more might be on their way. “There is a growth of militancy among the younger Asians, who are fed up waiting in the queue,” he said “These people are on the brink of disaster in East Africa, and there could be a panic exodus from Kenya and Uganda in the next few months.” He added that he had not been encouraging the entry attempts, but had been coun selling moderation.