View report page

IMMIGRANTS AND TUBERCULOSIS
No restrictions are placed on any persons arriving in this
Country with a British passport (which can be issued in Commonwealth
countries and from the Republic of Ireland), and it is
evident that tuberculous persons, unless they are obviously ill
on arrival, can enter any port without action other than notification
to the Medical Officer of Health of their declared destination.
The immigration authorities of Canada, United States of
America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa require from
“assisted immigrants” a first class X-ray and radiologist's
report before any permit to travel is granted. As a result a
number of persons of various nationalities are debarred from
entering these countries. As there is no bar to the entry of these
rejected persons into the United Kingdom, it is probable that
many have taken advantage of this.
The tuberculosis incidence in some of the Colonial territories
is very much higher than that of Great Britain, and the proportion
of infected and infectious cases amongst these immigrants
will in all probability be considerably higher than in our own
population. On the other hand, immigrants from countries such
as the Republic of Ireland contain a large proportion of persons,
especially in the younger and more susceptible age groups, who
are not yet infected and are therefore exposed to considerable
risk of contracting the disease in a new urban environment. It
would be a great step forward if these susceptibles were given
B.C.G. before leaving their country.
Health educational levels and hygiene standards among
immigrants generally are frequently lower than those of people
born in this country. There is a tendency to live in overcrowded
and unsatisfactory housing conditions, and with frequent change
of employment and movement from place to place, opportunities
of infecting others and of being infected are, therefore, considerable.
During 1956, 330 fresh cases of tuberculosis were notified
in Camberwell, and an examination of these revealed that over
10 per cent, were immigrants (mostly Irish). The Council
expressed some concern at this position and decided to ask the
Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee to press for
legislation requiring the medical examination (including chest
X-ray) of immigrants before or immediately upon their arrival
in the United Kingdom.
The Standing Joint Committee decided to obtain the views
of the London County Council who replied that the figures which