Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans with the UN Refugee Agency to expedite the travel of those eligible for UK resettlement who currently reside in Lebanon.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Work continues at pace to resettle eligible individuals under UKRS from Lebanon. The number of individuals and families resettled is a changing picture due to the operational nature of the scheme, making it difficult to release numbers of eligible individuals due for resettlement at this time. Statistics on the number resettled will be recorded and reported in the relevant quarterly immigration data sets.
It can be confirmed that the UK Government is working as quickly as possible to bring those families who have been accepted onto the UK Resettlement Scheme to the UK by securing seats on flights where they become available.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether an impact assessment has been undertaken of the proposed changes to the Office of the Immigration Service Commissioner’s fee structure, including the impact on charitable immigration advice services.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office together with the Office of the Immigration Service Commissioner (OISC) ran the fees consultation for a period of 12 weeks, which closed on 5 June 2024. The consultation was designed to help best understand the impact of proposals to amend the structure of the fees charged by the OISC to its registered advisers, and to minimise the risks of any adverse impact. The findings from the consultation are currently under review.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the appropriate length of time before an asylum claim can be deemed inadmissible, given that current Home Office caseworker guidance states that “the inadmissibility process must not create a lengthy ‘limbo’ position, where a pending decision or delays in removal after a decision mean that a claimant cannot advance their asylum claim either in the UK or in a safe third country".
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The safe third country inadmissibility process does not specify a specific timescale for an inadmissibility decision to be made. The process provides flexibility to ensure that the relevant information can be gathered by Home Office staff to make the appropriate decision. We consider it is right that officials have a reasonable opportunity to carefully examine the evidence in a case to determine whether inadmissibility action is appropriate. Where it is considered appropriate that they also have the opportunity to approach relevant third countries and enter into discussions about the person’s removal before a decision is made.
Where a claimant is under consideration of the inadmissibility policy, they are issued a Notice of Intent informing them their claim is being considered under this policy, and providing them with an opportunity to put forward any reasons why their claim should not be declared inadmissible. ––If they are detained, they have 7 days, if they are non-detained, they have 14 days, and additional time can be requested if necessary.
The inadmissibility policy sets out that the process must not create a lengthy ‘limbo’ position, where a pending decision or delays in removal after a decision mean that a claimant cannot advance their asylum claim either in the UK or in a safe third country. If, taking into account all the circumstances, it is not possible to make an inadmissibility decision or effect removal following an inadmissibility decision within a reasonable period, inadmissibility action must be discontinued, and the person’s claim must be admitted to the asylum process for substantive consideration.
As a general guideline, it is expected that in most cases, a safe third country will agree to admit a person within 6 months of the claim being recorded, enabling removal soon after, subject to concluding legal challenges or other removal barriers. Therefore, we consider that there are adequate safeguards build into the policy to ensure that a claimant is not left in limbo.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to appoint an Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration; and in what timeframe.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The process to recruit a new Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration follows the principles set out within the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments:
The competition opened on 21 February, and the closing date for applications was 2 April 2024. Our intention is to make the appointment as soon as possible, and an indicative timetable is available on the Public Appointments website:
Role details – Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration – Apply for a public appointment – GOV.UK (apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk)
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the Asylum Lived Experience Advisory Panel met in (1) 2024, (2) 2023, and (3) 2022.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Asylum Lived Experience Advisory Panel (ALEAP) was established in February 2023. The panel has met at least quarterly since this date.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government in which immigration removal centres the additional 2,200 detention spaces referred to in their press release of 1 May are located.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Home Office currently operates seven immigration removal centres (IRCs) throughout the UK (six in England and one in Scotland); Harmondsworth and Colnbrook IRCs at Heathrow; Brook House and Tinsley House IRCs at Gatwick; Derwentside IRC in County Durham; Yarl’s Wood IRC in Bedfordshire and Dungavel House IRC in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
As of 24 April, the Home Office has the capacity to detain around 2,200 people in IRCs, including those liable for removal to Rwanda.
Individuals who were previously present in a safe third country and entered the UK by a dangerous and unnecessary method are liable to be relocated to Rwanda. As this is an ongoing operational matter it would be inappropriate to provide a running commentary on individual cases or numbers.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many women are currently being detained for removal to Rwanda.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Home Office currently operates seven immigration removal centres (IRCs) throughout the UK (six in England and one in Scotland); Harmondsworth and Colnbrook IRCs at Heathrow; Brook House and Tinsley House IRCs at Gatwick; Derwentside IRC in County Durham; Yarl’s Wood IRC in Bedfordshire and Dungavel House IRC in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
As of 24 April, the Home Office has the capacity to detain around 2,200 people in IRCs, including those liable for removal to Rwanda.
Individuals who were previously present in a safe third country and entered the UK by a dangerous and unnecessary method are liable to be relocated to Rwanda. As this is an ongoing operational matter it would be inappropriate to provide a running commentary on individual cases or numbers.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether beginning the 28-day move-on period for a person with newly granted refugee status from the issuing of a biometric residence permit will be regularly reviewed as government policy.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Currently, the 28 day period begins from when a Biometric Residence Permit is issued. The longer-term position is under consideration.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they anticipate that the conditions stipulated by the special development order for the former RAF Wethersfield site will be met; and whether a work plan for the required improvements will be published.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Wethersfield is safe for asylum seekers, and we are working at pace to ensure we abide by the conditions in the Special Development Order.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of their rough sleeping statistics on 29 February which showed a 965.91 per cent increase from July to December 2023 in people sleeping rough after leaving asylum support over the previous 85 days, what consideration they have given to extending the move-on period from 28 days to 56 days for refugees leaving asylum support; and what assessment they have made of the impact this extension would have on homelessness.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Second Permanent Secretary and I recently met with the Bishop of London to discuss the Government support available to newly recognised refugees moving on from asylum accommodation.
Following the service of an asylum decision, an individual continues to be an asylum seeker for the purpose of asylum support until the end of the relevant prescribed period set out in legislation. This period is 28 calendar days from when an individual is notified of a decision to accept their asylum claim and grant them leave and we have no plans to extend this period. Whilst our legislative power is clear, we do in practice already extend support beyond this. Our current process means that individuals can remain on asylum support for at least 28 days after they have been issued a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which means that individuals have longer than 28 days to make arrangements to move on before their asylum support ends. It is important that individuals initiate plans to move on from asylum support as soon as they are served their asylum decision in order to maximise the time they have to make move on arrangements.
We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.
We continue to identify and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees during the move on period and to mitigate the risk of homelessness. We are fully committed to working with partners in doing this. We have already worked closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures. We are also utilising Home Office Liaison Officers to replicate part of the Afghan resettlement move on process. We have been working in three local authority areas since December 2023; Glasgow, Brent and Hillingdon. This has now been expanded to Manchester and Liverpool.