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Family sent back to U.S.

Title: Family sent back to U.S.
Date: Wednesday, 31 July 1968
Publisher: Glasgow Herald (UK)
Main source: link (54 KiB)

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An American family of seven were sent back to the United States yesterday from Heathrow Airport, London, five hours after flying in from New York.

They told immigration officials they had come to London to attend a music festival, but their tickets were said to be made out in the same way as those of Scientology students, and had been paid for from the same source.

The father, who described himself as a musician and a student, said at the airport that it was an "unfortunate misunderstanding."

His wife and children, four boys and one girl aged between three and 16 had waited with him at the Airport since 7 a.m. before being put aboard a B.O.A.C. Boeing jet flying to New York.

No funds

Later the Home Office said the family were refused entry because they had insufficient funds to support themselves.

An official added that 20 Scientologists had been admitted to Britain yesterday. He said immigration officers at Heathrow were satisfied they were here as visitors and not as students.

Other members of the cult were meanwhile believed to have landed in Scotland from Toronto.

After a B.O.A.C. flight touched down at Prestwick 146 passengers disembarked.

During the last stage of the air liner's flight to London dozens of Scientology pamphlets and leaflets were discovered by passengers.

"No one said"

A Home Office official said last night that no one claiming to be a student of Scientology had arrived at Prestwick during the day.

"It is possible some did come into the country as ordinary visitors," he said, "but no one said they were Scientology students."

The Home Office does not recognise the cult as a bona fide student group and, therefore, any would-be students arriving in this country on a study course are being sent home.