Joseph P. Walshe to Henry O'Friel ¹ (Dublin)

With reference to your Minute (H.4/179) of 10th inst. I am to point out that the arrangement made with regard to Saorstát Éireann visas for aliens coming here from the U.S.A. is, as you are aware, that the passports of all such aliens as embark at New York must bear the Saorstát visa. The Minister for External Affairs feels that you will appreciate the desirability of adhering strictly to this arrangement and not allowing any person sailing from the port of New York to disembark in Saorstát Éireann without the Saorstát visa.

It is not considered that persons travelling from New York with England as their destination should be permitted to land in An Saorstát because they have changed their minds en route. This would in effect mean that the Saortstát visa is superfluous, and that the British visa alone will in all cases suffice, which, as you doubtless will agree, would be a stultification of our whole position in the matter.

Although the Aliens Order contains no express provision as to visas it is in the view of this Department implicit that, having regard to the arrangement formally entered into between ourselves and the British, the passport of an alien sailing to An Saorstát direct from New York would not be valid for landing in this country unless it bore the Saorstát visa.

The Minister therefore requests that your Department may be good enough to instruct the Immigration Officers not to permit any alien coming direct from New York to land unless his passport has been duly visaed by our Passport Office in New York.