Home Office draws up 'hit list' for immigrants

By Ian Burrell, Home Affairs Correspondent: 02 May 2001

Immigration officers have been given permission by the Home Office to "discriminate" against a named list of ethnic groups. The announcement yesterday by Home Office minister Barbara Roche provoked immediate condemnation from groups working with immigrant communities who said they were "very disturbed".

The groups to be targeted are Tamils, Kurds, Pontic Greeks, Roma, Somalis, Albanians, Afghans and ethnic Chinese. Home Office officials were at pains to say the move was not a matter of "race" but of "nationality" and "ethnic origin".

The decision was taken as a result of last month's extension of race relations laws to cover immigration officials. The requirement to treat all incoming passengers equally at passport control concerned immigration chiefs who felt the hands of their staff could be tied.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "It was recognised that it was necessary to discriminate on the grounds of nationality or ethnic origin. The alternative is to subject all passengers of every nationality to the same degree of examination at immigration control, which would lead to significant delays and inconvenience." She said the measures "certainly do not provide immigration staff with a blank cheque to discriminate".

The list of targeted groups will be reviewed every month and based on "specific intelligence" or "statistical evidence". The Home Office said an independent race monitor will report to Parliament annually to ensure the new regulations were not being abused.

Habib Rahman, chair of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said he was "very disturbed" by the announcement. "It is another example of blatant discrimination in immigration control. This Government is strengthening institutional racism in the immigration service by just picking and choosing certain groups of people. Everyone should be treated equally."

Mrs Roche announced the changes in Parliament yesterday in a written answer to Labour MP Phil Hope. She said: "The decision on a passenger's entitlement to enter the United Kingdom will continue to be taken on the merits of the case in accordance with the Immigration Rules. The authorisation simply allows the Immigration Service to prioritise and manage its resources effectively in undertaking examinations necessary in order to reach that decision."

The targeted list covers most of the ethnic groups now claiming asylum in the largest numbers. The main source countries for asylum seekers last month were Afghanistan and Somalia. There were also many claims from Iraq, Turkey and Iran, many from ethnic Kurds. The list is based on ethnicity rather than nationality because immigration officials say people can try to disguise their country of origin.

Tamils from India sometimes claim to be refugees from fighting in Sri Lanka, Albanians have been known to pose as Kosovans, and Chinese immigrants may not be from China.

Anna Chen, of the Chinese Civil Rights Action Group, said: "This list panders to all those racist views that certain people are inferior and have to be kept out of the country."

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=699499%20

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Hansard Written Answers, Tuesday 1st may 2001, Column: 626W

Race Relations Act

Mr. Hope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional authorisations he has made under section 19D of the Race Relations Act 1976.

Mrs. Roche: In the light of evidence about the particular risks posed to the effective operation of our immigration controls by some members of certain ethnic groups, I have made an authorisation permitting members of the Immigration Service to discriminate, where necessary, in the examination of passengers belonging to the following ethnic or national groups: Tamils, Kurds, Pontic Greeks, Roma, Somalis, Albanians, Afghans and ethnic Chinese presenting a Malaysian or Japanese passport or any other travel document issued by Malaysia or Japan.

The decision on a passenger's entitlement to enter the United Kingdom will continue to be taken on the merits of the case in accordance with the Immigration Rules. The authorisation simply allows the Immigration Service to prioritise and manage its resources effectively in undertaking examinations necessary in order to reach that decision.

The Race Monitor to be appointed under section 19E of the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended) will report to Parliament via the Secretary of State on the likely effect of authorisations made by Ministers and on how they are operated in practice by officials.

A copy of the additional authorisation has been placed in the Library. Any future additional or amended authorisations will also be placed in the Library.

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Lords Hansard 1 May 2001: Immigration Controls

Lord Lester of Herne Hill asked Her Majesty's Government:

What authorisations they have approved in respect of categories of passengers arriving in the United Kingdom permitting discrimination on grounds of ethnic or national origin; and

What conditions, including periods of review, they have attached to any authorisation of discrimination on the grounds of ethnic or national origin against categories of passengers arriving in the United Kingdom; and

Whether they will publish information retrospectively about the use made of authorisations permitting discrimination on the grounds of ethnic or national origin against categories of passengers arriving in the United Kingdom and any information which justifies the making of such authorisations.

Lord Bassam of Brighton:

My honourable friend the Home Office Minister of State (Mrs Roche) has announced today in another place that she has made an authorisation, in the light of evidence about the particular risks posed to the effective operation of our immigration controls by some members of certain ethnic or national groups, permitting the Immigration Service to discriminate, where necessary, in the examination of passengers belonging to the following ethnic or national groups: Tamils, Kurds, Pontic Greeks, Roma, Somalis, Albanians, Afghans and ethnic Chinese presenting a Malaysian or Japanese passport or any other travel document issued by Malaysia or Japan.

The decision on a passenger's entitlement to enter the United Kingdom will continue to be taken on the merits of the case in accordance with the Immigration Rules. The authorisation simply allows the Immigration Service to prioritise and manage its resources effectively in undertaking examinations necessary in order to reach that decision. In the majority of cases, any delay experienced by legitimate passengers in the groups concerned while passing through the control will be very short.

The authorisation specifies the particular legal powers exercisable by immigration officers to which it relates. My honourable friend the Minister of State (Mrs Roche) will review the authorisation concerning discrimination on the basis of ethnic or national origin in the examination of passengers each month. A copy of the additional authorisation has been placed in the Library. Any future additional or amended authorisations will also be placed in the Library.

The Race Monitor to be appointed under Section 19E of the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended) will report to Parliament via the Secretary of State on the likely effect of authorisations made by Ministers and on how they are operated in practice by officials. In addition, the Government are currently considering whether it would be feasible for them to publish information retrospectively about the use made of authorisations covering discrimination on the grounds of ethnic or national origin in the examination of passengers. The Government would be prepared to publish information justifying the making of such authorisations to the extent that publication would not prejudice the effective administration of immigration controls or other statutory provisions.