Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish an update on the note published by the Home Office on 24 February 2022, Statistical note: FNO appeals lodged and allowed on human rights grounds, 2008 to 2021, to include data up to 2025 and the proportion of foreign national offender appeals allowed solely on Article 8 grounds.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office keeps its statistical products under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide alternatives to immigration detention for women.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.
There is detailed published guidance for all staff working in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). Detention Services Order 06/2016 'Women in the immigration removal estate', which sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld.
The constant supervision of women who are subject to an Assessment Care in Detention and Teamwork (ACDT) plan, should wherever possible, be undertaken by a female detainee custody officer (DCO). In the unlikely event that this is not operationally possible for reasons of safety and security, the details for this decision must be fully documented by the duty manager on the ACDT plan.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the report published on 17 March by Women for Refugee Women, A Decade of Harm: Survivors of gender-based violence locked up in immigration detention, what action they will take regarding the finding that women under constant supervision are being watched by male staff.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.
There is detailed published guidance for all staff working in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). Detention Services Order 06/2016 'Women in the immigration removal estate', which sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld.
The constant supervision of women who are subject to an Assessment Care in Detention and Teamwork (ACDT) plan, should wherever possible, be undertaken by a female detainee custody officer (DCO). In the unlikely event that this is not operationally possible for reasons of safety and security, the details for this decision must be fully documented by the duty manager on the ACDT plan.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of violence against women and girls in immigration detention.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.
There is detailed published guidance for all staff working in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). Detention Services Order 06/2016 'Women in the immigration removal estate', which sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld.
The constant supervision of women who are subject to an Assessment Care in Detention and Teamwork (ACDT) plan, should wherever possible, be undertaken by a female detainee custody officer (DCO). In the unlikely event that this is not operationally possible for reasons of safety and security, the details for this decision must be fully documented by the duty manager on the ACDT plan.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they still intend to convert Derwentside immigration removal centre to a male-only facility.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Plans for Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) are still being considered. Currently the centre remains a functioning female IRC, and we remain focused on the specific needs for women in our care.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it remains their intention to vacate the Napier Barracks site on or before 25 March.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Following a review and downgrading of the remedial works required at Napier Barracks before the site is handed to developers, a limited time extension has been agreed with the Ministry of Defence to use the site for asylum accommodation until 30 September 2025.
The Home Office continuously reviews the accommodation estate to ensure there is sufficient capacity to meet demand whilst delivering value for money for the UK taxpayer.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what provisions exist to enable Ukrainians who have applied for the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme to continue to be able to demonstrate their right to be in the UK to landlords and employers beyond their current three-year visas whilst they await the outcome of the UPE application.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office suite of digital status services ('View and Prove your immigration status', Right to Work and Right to Rent) support a range of individuals, including Ukrainians applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, who have made an in-time application for permission to stay in the UK.
This means where a person has an existing digital immigration status (eVisa) and has submitted an in-time application for a further eVisa, they can provide third parties (such as employers or landlords) with a share code.
Where an in-time application to extend or vary leave is made and the application is not decided before the person's existing leave expires, section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 extends the person's existing leave until a decision is made.
The Home Office online checking service will provide confirmation of the person's right to work or rent and provide an employer or landlord with a statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty, in the event they are later found to have employed or let a property to a person who is not permitted to do so by virtue of their immigration status.
This enables the employer or landlord to hire or extend the person's contract for six or 12 months respectively. This is the standard duration of the statutory excuse when checks are carried out on those persons with a pending, in-time application for immigration permission.
For an employer or landlord to ensure they do not discriminate against anyone, they should provide reasonable opportunity to enable an individual to prove their right to work or rent.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of children affected—directly or indirectly via a parent or guardian—by "no recourse to public funds" conditions on UK residency.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is in the process of transitioning its casework operations to the new ATLAS system. Until the transition process is complete, the availability of data in respect of the number of families, who have a condition on their residency in the UK and the number of children affected, will not be available.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of families where at least one member has a "no recourse to public funds" condition on their residency in the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is in the process of transitioning its casework operations to the new ATLAS system. Until the transition process is complete, the availability of data in respect of the number of families, who have a condition on their residency in the UK and the number of children affected, will not be available.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many children have a "no recourse to public funds" condition on their residency in the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is in the process of transitioning its casework operations to the new ATLAS system. Until the transition process is complete, the availability of data in respect of the number of families, who have a condition on their residency in the UK and the number of children affected, will not be available.