Letter to the Clerk of the Sub-Committee
from Audrey Wise, MP, 11 February 1998
I submitted some evidence to the Inquiry on
Entry Clearance procedures, but wish to add the enclosed letter
which quotes directly from the Islamabad instructions to applicants.
This illustrates my points complaining about additional documents
now being demanded which are unnecessary and either difficult
or impossible to obtain.
Please add this to my submission. I am both
faxing and posting this communication.
I would also add an additional point: Overwhelming
importance is given to the economic standing of the family in
Pakistan or India, which discriminates against many of my constituents
whose families live by tilling a piece of land. It is also very
difficult for them to show documents like bank statements because
there is frequently no bank within reach and they do not have
a bank account. This means that poorer people are even more likely
to be refused any contact with their families here.
Most of my constituents plead for some opportunity
to demonstrate good faith, by lodging passports, house deeds,
or cash. They are not allowed to do this. This means that they
are effectively treated worse than if they were alleged criminals
seeking bail. I have come to the conclusion that they should be
allowed some mechanism to show good faith, and that this would
be infinitely better than repeated refusal of visitor visas on
the basis of unproven and usually ill-founded assumptions of bad
faith.
I would be very happy to give oral evidence
if the sub-committee wish.
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