Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Immigration on 23 June (HC189553), what progress they have made towards negotiating bilateral youth mobility schemes with EU countries, particularly France, Greece, Italy and Spain.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The UK remain open to negotiating Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with other countries and territories, including EU Member States. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal agreement which also provides benefit to UK nationals, with the detail negotiated and agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of negotiations as they occur.
We have recently agreed new YMS arrangements with Andorra and Uruguay. From 31 January 2024, nationals of these countries will be eligible to travel to and experience life in the UK for up to 2 years.
We have also agreed to enhance our existing schemes with Australia, Canada and Japan. For Australian and Canadian citizens who are looking to take advantage of the UK’s YMS, the age range will be increased from 18-30 to 18-35 and they will have the option of extending their YMS visa for an additional year, taking the total length of stay in the UK from 2 to 3 years. UK citizens will also have the same access into those countries. The annual quota associated with the UK’s youth mobility arrangement with Japan will increase to 6,000 places on a reciprocal basis. We are intending to implement these enhancements on 31 January 2024.
We remain committed to expanding our YMS to more nations, including but not limited to those within the EU. Further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced once they are concluded.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps if any they are taking to negotiate bilateral youth mobility schemes with countries across Europe to ensure UK travel businesses can hire UK citizens for critical tourism roles overseas.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The UK remain open to negotiating Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with other countries and territories, including EU Member States. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal agreement which also provides benefit to UK nationals, with the detail negotiated and agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of negotiations as they occur.
We have recently agreed new YMS arrangements with Andorra and Uruguay. From 31 January 2024, nationals of these countries will be eligible to travel to and experience life in the UK for up to 2 years.
We have also agreed to enhance our existing schemes with Australia, Canada and Japan. For Australian and Canadian citizens who are looking to take advantage of the UK’s YMS, the age range will be increased from 18-30 to 18-35 and they will have the option of extending their YMS visa for an additional year, taking the total length of stay in the UK from 2 to 3 years. UK citizens will also have the same access into those countries. The annual quota associated with the UK’s youth mobility arrangement with Japan will increase to 6,000 places on a reciprocal basis. We are intending to implement these enhancements on 31 January 2024.
We remain committed to expanding our YMS to more nations, including but not limited to those within the EU. Further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced once they are concluded.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which minister in the Home Office has responsibility for victims of modern slavery within the UK.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Modern Slavery is a complex issue, with links to crime, safeguarding and immigration.
Therefore, as set out on gov.uk, the Minister of State for Immigration, The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick, will have responsibility for aspects of the policy which link to the National Referral Mechanism and migration.
The Safeguarding Minister, Sarah Dines, leads on victim support policy across all crime types, as well as the Home Office relationship with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support members of the Windrush generation in their retirement.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
For people of State Pension age, there is a contributory State Pension based on an individual’s National Insurance record. It is supported by further measures for older people including Pension Credit which provides means-tested support for those most in need.
We are putting in place arrangements across Government to ensure where members of the Windrush generation have been denied access to employment because they were unable to demonstrate their lawful status, their National Insurance position is corrected so the period of the loss does not impact their State Pension entitlement.
Work on this issue is ongoing, and we continue to work with other government departments to finalise this area of work. As soon as arrangements are finalised, we will write again to explain what this will mean for affected individuals.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which private providers in each region of England have contracts to provide (1) accommodation, (2) welfare, or (3) financial support, for asylum seekers.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Accommodation for supported asylum seekers is arranged by private sector providers through contractual arrangements with the Home Office.
Details of these contracts can be found on gov.uk under 'New asylum accomodation contracts awarded'.
All asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by an independent third party, Migrant Help.
Prepaid Finance Services are contracted to provide Asylum Seekers with ASPEN cards.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the 449 potential victims of trafficking from Albania referred to in the National Crime Agency's National Referral Mechanism Statistics 2014 have received a (a) positive Reasonable Grounds decision, (b) positive Conclusive Grounds decision, (c) negative Reasonable Grounds decision and (d) negative Conclusive Grounds decision on their immigration status; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Karen Bradley
As of 2 January 2015, of the 449 potential victims of trafficking from Albania
referred to in the National Crime Agency's 2014 National Referral Mechanism
Statistics:
a) 406 have received a positive Reasonable Grounds decision;
b) 35 have received a positive Conclusive Grounds decision;
c) 23 have received a negative Reasonable Grounds decision; and
d) 86 have received a negative Conclusive Grounds decision.
The NRM decision is independent of the decision on an individual’s immigration
status.
This information is taken from data used in the UK Human Trafficking Centre’s
Statistical and Trend Update: October to December 2014, which was published on
23 February 2015. The next quarterly report is due to be published in May.
Some of the outstanding cases in the data from 2 January have since been
completed. Where cases are outstanding this may be because UKVI are waiting for
information from third parties, such as the police or support providers.
Individuals will continue to receive Government-funded specialist support and
accommodation until their case is concluded.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her modern day slavery strategy will contain plans to prevent victims of modern day slavery being retrafficked (a) within the UK, (b) within the EU and (c) elsewhere.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The Modern Slavery Strategy, published on 28 November 2014, sets out this
Government’s approach to tackling modern slavery. The strategy places
considerable focus on support for victims of slavery and trafficking, to enable
them to recover from their ordeal and move on with their lives. This includes
strengthening support for victims to help them avoid being retrafficked.
Commitments include activity to support adult and child victims, both where
they remain in the UK or wish to return home.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the risks of retrafficking within the UK once a victim of trafficking has completed his or her period of reflection in a government-funded shelter and is no longer permitted to remain in the shelter accommodation.
Answered by Karen Bradley
Protecting victims is at the heart of the Government’s strategy on modern
slavery. Addressing the risk of retrafficking is a key factor in the review of
the National Referral Mechanism and the provision of support through Government
funded safe houses. Our strategy focuses on strengthening support for victims
so that they can increase their resilience to being retrafficked. This
includes Government funded support providers who work with victims to support
safe reintegration based on each individual’s needs, taking into account any
particular risk of retrafficking. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s
role also includes promoting good practice in the prevention of modern slavery
offences, including prevention of retrafficking
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of how many suspected victims of modern slavery were subsequently retrafficked after being referred to the National Referral Mechanism in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The information requested is not available as it is not routinely recorded as part
of the National Referral Mechanism process. However, the NCA's 'Strategic
Assessment on the Nature and Scale of Human Trafficking in 2013,' which
was based on additional information and intelligence, identified that there
were three cases where a potential victim had experienced a secondary period
of exploitation following recovery during the period 1 January 2013 to
31 December 2013. Similar intelligence assessments were produced in
2011 and 2012 which contained no data relating to the number of potential
victims that may have been re-trafficked.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many calls have been logged in total since the government-funded trafficking helpline run by the NSPCC was established; and how many confirmed victims of human trafficking have been identified as a result of such calls.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The Modern Slavery helpline was set up on 31 July 2014 as part of a wider
national communications campaign. Between 31 July 2014 and 29 January 2015,
the NSPCC helpline received a total of 654 contacts. These contacts comprise
383 referrals, 82 advice cases, and 189 enquiries. The helpline ensures that
potential victims are referred to the appropriate agencies, including law
enforcement, for immediate support and assistance. As a result, the NSPCC does
not record the number of confirmed victims of modern slavery, including human
trafficking.