asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies what arrangements have been made for 154 Hereros who have crossed into Bechuanaland from Southwest Africa; and if the status of refugees will be accorded to them.

They have been issued with temporary residence permits for 6 months. Their residence is restricted to a radius of 12 miles from Makunda. They have not claimed refugee status.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that three of these individuals are prohibited immigrants and, as such, come within the terms of political refugees; and that another 147 of them, if not political refugees, have been driven from South-West Africa because the land has been appropriated, under the Bantustan system, to Europeans? That being so, will something be done for them? They cannot gain a livelihood within 12 miles of Makunda and, if driven back to South-West Africa, they are liable to a sentence of three years' imprisonment, with six strokes of the cane each. Will the Government do something to save them from that?

The maximum penalty for leaving the Republic or South-West Africa is, in fact, two years' imprisonment. Nine of the immigrants have returned of their own accord, and no report has been received of any punitive action taken against them at all. I therefore do not think that these people are in danger, but if they establish that they are political refugees, naturally, they will not be returned to South Africa.