U.K. ‘grandfather’ and holidays rules passed

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33158, 23 February 1973, Page 3

U.K. ‘grandfather’ and holidays rules passed

(From MICHAEL HOBSON. N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent) LONDON, February 22. Revised immigration rules which will allow New Zealanders with one British grandparent to settle permanently in Britain, and which extend the maximum time allowed for working holidays from three years to five years, romped through the House of Commons last night.

The Government defeated an Opposition motion to throw out the rules, 283 votes to 210. In November, a combination of Labour Party and ConI servative back-bench opposi-! tion defeated the Government: iover the first set of rules pre-; isented to implement the Im-i [migration Act, 1971. The Tory back-benchers in-1 jsisted that the new rules! {would discriminate against {the old Commonwealth countries of New Zealand, Austra-; ilia, and Canada, while allow-; ling free entry for citizens of; • Britain’s new E.E.C. partners.

Amendments Since November, Government Ministers led by the Home Secretary (Mr Robert i Carr) have worked hard to •amend the rules so that they would be satisfactory to the [Tories who believed the old Empire was being sold down •the drain. ! As was proved last night,

the campaign was successful [ — the only heat came from j the Labour benches. The main changes in .the. I rules from New Zealand's' ; point of view concern the, • controversial “grandfather” . clause and the provisions I governing working holidays. The grandfather clause had [ been in the original act but. , {was taken out in the commit.itee stage, largely at the insisitence of Mr Enoch Powell. ;He expressed reservations about it again last night, •mainly on the ground it i would open the way for masisive immigration from new •coloured Commonwealth countries. Warning given Both Mr Carr and the Under-Secretary of State at! i the Home Office (Mr David; 1 Lane) last night made it clear '.that if the grandfather clause : . produced a massive influx of ■ {immigrants it would be re- - examined by the Government. Mention was also made of j the objection by the New [■ Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) to the grandfather clause on the ground that it ■ discriminated against certain > New Zealanders, particularly f Maoris. Mr Carr said the extension > for working holidays for ■ young Commonwealth citizens represented a “substan-

tial improvement.” On their t arrival, he said, a 12-montb ' minimum stay would be| given and it would be clearly [indicated to the visitors that! I an extension up to five years' • would be easily available. i But he went out of his way i ;to say that in spite of the ex-{i tension this was still a “tem-ii iporary” visa and that if it ; was used as a back-door way! [of obtaining permanent set-! tlement, the privilege would [be regretfully withdrawn. [ Both Mr Carr and Mr Lane. I ; while praising the work of I immigration officers in the! past, indicated that a close; check would be kept to make • sure that al] visitors from; overseas who had right of I entry- were courteously' I

treated and made to feel' i welcome. I Separate rules [ Mr Carr also noted that the rules for Commonwealth immigration this time, in contrast to November, were beiing drawn up separately from (those for E.E.C. citizens. I In doing this separately,! the Government had three! (aims — to emphasise the imiportance of the Common•wealth; to help destroy the : {myth that Commonwealth [citizens were being treated as, (aliens; and to allow changes, [to be made easily to the! •Commonwealth rules. | Mr Carr referred to the ’ ■ talks which Lord Carrington. l

the British Defence Secretary, had had with Mr Kirk and the Australian Prime Minister (Mr Gough Whitlam) earlier this month. Lord Carrington had begun to explore other ways in vvhich the “special” relationship between Britain and the old Commonwealth could be : expressed in the immigration l rules, said Mr Carr. Difficulties Talks on reciprocity had • begun, but considerable diffiIculties — both on the British ;and the New Zealand and ! Australian sides — had been turned up, said Mr Carr. Ex-! [ ploration on this subject 'would continue.