Found: Letter from Lord Hanson of Flint to the Chair informing the Committee of changes to the immigration rules

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 28 July (HL2268), what is the anticipated timeline for the publication of a standalone bill-level Child’s Rights Impact Assessment analysing the impact of measures in the draft Immigration and Asylum Bill against the UN Convention on Rights of a Child.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 places a legal duty on the Secretary of State to make arrangements for ensuring immigration, asylum, nationality and general customs functions are carried out with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the UK.

This legal duty requires us to develop policy in respect of children through the lens of safeguarding and welfare, as well as the best interests of children as a primary (although not the only) consideration, as set out in our statutory guidance.

Accordingly, throughout our policy development, careful consideration has been and will continue to be given as to how children will be impacted by the measures within the Immigration and Asylum Bill, in line with Section 55.

A Home Office Children’s Impact Assessment is underway and will continue to be a living document, noting that Section 55 is a continuous and active duty. Section 55 is a bespoke statutory duty for the Home Office, and it is not an equivalent to assessments conducted by other government departments. Home Office Ministers have committed to complete Children’s Impact Assessments in accordance with Section 55 but have made no such commitments to complete Children’s Rights Impact Assessments.

There is no legal requirement to publish a Children’s Impact Assessment and to commit to do so would be premature noting that this is an ongoing assessment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 15 July (HL1735), what steps they are taking to ensure compliance with regulations UK261 and to protect passengers lawfully resident in the UK with a valid digital-only eVisa who are denied boarding by airlines on the basis they are not adequately documented, and prevented from claiming compensation under the regulations due to airlines not following Home Office guidance on checking permission to travel to the UK.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for enforcing UK261. Whether compensation is payable where a passenger is denied boarding depends on the circumstances of the individual case. Passengers who consider that an airline has not complied with its obligations should first raise the matter with the airline and may then pursue the available redress arrangements.

Since 25 February 2026, all commercial aviation carriers flying directly to the UK have been integrated into the interactive Advance Passenger Information system and use it to verify passengers’ permission to travel to the UK. Over the last three years, the Home Office has worked extensively with carriers through direct communications, carrier forums and awareness sessions to support the transition to eVisas and minimise the risk of passengers being incorrectly denied boarding. The Home Office continues to engage closely with carriers to ensure they understand and correctly apply the processes for verifying a passenger's permission to travel, including the use of digital immigration status. Where a carrier is unable to confirm a person’s permission to travel, it can contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for advice and support.

eVisa holders are advised to keep their UKVI account up to date and ensure that the passport or travel document they intend to use is linked to their account. More than 11 million eVisas have been issued, and most people use them without issue.