Immigration Appeals Procedure In Compassionate Cases

EDM number 420 in 1990-91, proposed by Bill Michie on 06/02/1991.

That this House notes with dismay that Kurshid Bibi made an application in Pakistan in November 1990 for entry clearance to visit her very ill sister in Birmingham and that this was refused on grounds lacking any humanitarian judgement; notes that she immediately appealed against this decision and that, after considerable delay, the Right honourable Member for Birmingham, Small Heath, was informed by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 7th January, without apology, that the High Commission had had difficulty in tracing this application; notes furthermore, that in correspondence and at a meeting with the Minister the Right honourable Member was advised that all the necessary papers had been dispatched to the appeal machinery in December and that the Right honourable Member should take up with the appellant authority and the Lord Chancellor the delays in obtaining a hearing in these cases; is concerned to note that upon receipt of this information in early February the solicitor representing this family made contact with the Immigration Appeals Office and the Appeals Tribunal, only to be told that no papers on this case had been received at their offices; condemns this maladministration and declares that Kurshid Bibi should be granted an immediate compassionate visit to her sister Mrs Warasat Jan, who remains seriously ill at their home in Birmingham.

This motion has been signed by a total of 19 MPs.