Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 24 January (HL1408 and HL1409), how many visas for relocation to the United Kingdom have been issued since 8 November 2023 to Afghans eligible under (1) the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, and (2) the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The UK has made an ambitious and generous commitment to help at-risk people in Afghanistan and, so far, we have brought around 24,600 people to safety, including thousands of people eligible for our Afghan schemes. We continue to honour our commitments to bring eligible Afghans to the UK.
The data published within the immigration system statistics release (month ending September 2023, published 23 November 2023) provides a breakdown of arrivals by quarter. The number of individuals resettled under the schemes is as follows: 11,684 individuals under ARAP, 9,699 individuals under ACRS Pathway 1, 70 individuals under ACRS Pathway 2 and 70 individuals under ACRS Pathway 3.
Afghan operational data is viewable on Gov.UK.
Afghan operational data is released quarterly with the next publication due around the 22 February 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 18 December 2023 (HL Deb col 2048), on what date they announced that housing in the UK need not be secured before a visa for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy or Afghan citizens resettlement scheme can be issued.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
On 8 November 2023, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs gave an oral statement to the House of Commons stating that those eligible under ACRS and ARAP no longer needed to be matched to suitable accommodation prior to their arrival.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether visas for relocation to the UK under (1) the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, and (2) the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme, include a date of issue.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Vignettes that are issued under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) include a date of issue.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the new immigration salary thresholds announced by the Home Secretary on 4 December will apply to language assistants in schools and universities.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Once the Immigration Rules have been laid in Spring 2024, only those occupations on the Health and Care Visa and on education national payscales will be exempt.
Until then, the current salary thresholds remain in place at the current levels. Those already in the Skilled work route, and applications made before the rules change, will not be subject to the new £38,700 salary threshold when they change employment, extend, or settle.
Full details of transitional provisions will be set out when further policy details will be announced.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Home Secretary on 7 December announcing the changes to travel document requirements for school groups visiting the UK from France (HCWS106), whether they will extend those changes to school groups visiting the UK from Spain and Germany.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
At the Leaders’ Summit in Paris on 10 March 2023, as part of an overall agreement on migration reached with France, the UK committed to ease the travel of school groups to the UK by making changes to documentary requirements for schoolchildren on organised trips from France. The agreement we have is specific to France.
We would consider negotiating with other countries should they approach us with an interest in making similar arrangements.