LETTERS

Granting Visas Kenneth AIWA ' 'Rolls Call /.71(nn Don fda+ Home

The `Spectator' Steel inquiry Y . C. Utley ' The Casement Diaries Pram, O'Connor I• And Now Nyasaland Rev. Kenneth MacKenzie Easter Rev. A man Lee, D. R. .Scews

The Novels of Henry Green I. M. POIA011S ''3111—? Kevin HoLand

GRANTING VISAS

• Sia.--• I believe we could well afford to broaden the terms of reference of Mr. John Curtin's protest in your last week's issue.

For some years now I have been convinced that our antiquated and .clumsy immigration laws have been systematically negating much of the propaganda tumt successful sales talk carried out abroad by the

'British Travel and Holidays Association and the ' iBritish Council. (British hotels and • restaurants have contributed towards undoing the rest.) As an itinerant traveller in Europe, Mediterranean `countries and the Near East during the past feW years, has been one of my most embarrassing tasks to attempt a defence, or at least an explanation, of our immigration policy to disappointed and frustrated anglophiles.

Let Mr. Curtin not think that the ,Spanish people have been singled out for 'non-favoured_ nation' treatment. Friends of mine in Middle Eastern coun- tries for which I can get a•visa in a -matter of a few hours—repeatedly complain that they have been forced to abandon their plans for holidays in Britain during the hot season (theirs, not ours) because of visa complications. Mostly they take their cars, families and money instead to Switzerland. Italy and Germany.

Difficulties put in the way of friendly `aliens' wish- ing to spend a few weeks here contrast drastically with the apparent total lack of restrictions placed on permanent settlers arriving from British Common- wealth and colonial territories.

Even European nationals technically not requiring visas arc 'today still subjected to an invidious and searching interrogation upon landing in Britain. Not long ago a young German couple, embarked on a romantic 'Gretna. Green' dash, were turned away at the pOrt of entry. it is difficult to conceive what thireat they might have constituted to Britain's jealously guarded internal security.

As a first move towards making believe that Britain is part of Europe, 1, would like to see a public, parliamentary and press campaign—perhaps backed by some of the two million Britons who choose to escape these shores for their holidays in 1959—to sweep away these obsolete restrictions.

I agree with John Curtin that visa issuing for British passport holders today is generally a matter of collecting the consular fee. I have never yet had to. produce a host who would vouch for my behaviour in the country to be visited, nor even a brother-in-law to guarantee- financing my stay and clearing up my bad debts.

Whenever individual Cases, such as Mr. Curtin's, are brought to attention of the authorities, there is invariably a `charming and disarming apology' from The Top. But for every red-ribboned apologia there are a thousand unsung, unsuccessful visa applicants gazing into their panic and asking themselves why, despite everything, they arc still basically .pro-Britain,

it is lime—for our own 'face' and prestige7--that we ceased being consistently and studiedly insulting to visitors from overseas.

And since we are on the subject : is it not also time that we swept away the unpleasant 'sheep' and 'goats' corralling of travellers arriving at the Channel ports and London Airport? Despite notices. in, I believe, eight languages, the second-class treatment handed out to 'non-British passports' provides a highly effec- tive cold douche to spirits of arriving guests. Other countries appear captble of handling heavy incoming traffic without resort to this discrimination.

We would be doing nobody but ourselves a favour. Yours' faithf ully, '

Northelifi r, blouse, EC4

K AN1I1S