Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of organised criminal gangs attempting to enable migrants to cross the English Channel illegally have been arrested.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Home Office is committed to tackling organised immigration crime. Methods of irregular entry to the UK can be unsafe, dangerous and leave migrants open to exploitation by organised crime groups.
Since the start of the year (01 January 2023), Immigration Enforcement have arrested over 230 persons for people smuggling into the UK.
Since January 2023, the Home Office have undertaken over 200 OCG disruption activities, including 21 relating to small boat crossings.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the mental health needs of the residents on the Bibby Stockholm.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
We will assess individuals' suitability to reside at Portland and will only accommodate single adult males who are considered suitable to reside there.
Each person's suitability will be assessed at regular intervals and if they are no longer suitable for any reason, they will be moved to alternative accommodation.
Accommodation providers ensure that guidance and training provided to staff regarding the identification and management of vulnerable asylum seekers with specific needs, or at risk asylum seekers, is kept up to date and aligns with best practice.
All accommodated on the vessel have 24/7 access to the Migrant Help independent helpline for any concerns that they wish to raise. In conjunction with this, they will have free access to laptops and mobile phones to maintain contact with legal advisors, friends, and family.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in developing their policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, they made an assessment of the unemployment rate in that country, and if so, what it is.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Our analysis of the country situation drew on a wide range of evidence gathered through both desk-based research and country visits. We collected information on economic indicators including the opportunities and support available to refugees seeking employment, together with information on Rwanda’s health system, including its accessibility to refugees.
The information was carefully selected in accordance with internationally established country-of-origin information research methods and includes content from a variety of reliable sources such as media outlets, governmental sources and local, national and international organisations.
I cannot comment on other international relations with Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in developing their policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, they made an assessment of the health priorities in that country, and if so, what they are.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Our analysis of the country situation drew on a wide range of evidence gathered through both desk-based research and country visits. We collected information on economic indicators including the opportunities and support available to refugees seeking employment, together with information on Rwanda’s health system, including its accessibility to refugees.
The information was carefully selected in accordance with internationally established country-of-origin information research methods and includes content from a variety of reliable sources such as media outlets, governmental sources and local, national and international organisations.
I cannot comment on other international relations with Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which other countries deem Rwanda to be a safe country for the purposes of asylum.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Our analysis of the country situation drew on a wide range of evidence gathered through both desk-based research and country visits. We collected information on economic indicators including the opportunities and support available to refugees seeking employment, together with information on Rwanda’s health system, including its accessibility to refugees.
The information was carefully selected in accordance with internationally established country-of-origin information research methods and includes content from a variety of reliable sources such as media outlets, governmental sources and local, national and international organisations.
I cannot comment on other international relations with Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure the safety of any LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers who are transferred to Rwanda.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
There are binding provisions in the Rwanda Treaty which place obligations on the Government of Rwanda to provide, for those relocated under the Partnership, support and accommodation in line with international legal standards. Protection from discrimination is enshrined within the Rwandan constitution. Rwanda does not criminalise or discriminate against sexual orientation in either law or policy.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what UK funding has been provided to local communities in France to mitigate the economic impact of illegal crossings of the English Channel.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The UK and France maintain a longstanding relationship on tackling illegal migration.
Since signing the Sandhurst Treaty in 2018 with France the UK has provided almost €500 million in funding to support our joint work to tackle small boats crossings.
UK funding supports French authorities to mitigate the impact of illegal crossings on local communities in northern France, for example by providing port security infrastructure and funding additional law enforcement personnel to manage the presence of migrants attempting to cross the Channel by small boat in the local area.
UK-France cooperation to tackle small boats has resulted in over 25,000 small boats crossings prevented so far this year, with overall small boats arrivals down by over a third compared to 2022.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government through which assessment mechanism or framework they have deemed Rwanda a safe country.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
We had previously undertaken an analysis of the country situation, drawing on a wide range of publicly available evidence from a variety of reliable sources about Rwanda’s asylum system and human rights situation. Evidence was also obtained from the FCDO and from visits undertaken by the team responsible for Country Policy and Information Notes (CPIN). Information gathering was done in accordance with internationally established country-of-origin information research methods.
This was supplemented with updated evidence since summer 2022, including in respect of the strengthening of Rwanda’s systems and the new treaty signed on 5 December. The treaty between the UK and Rwanda, alongside the evidence of changes in Rwanda, will enable Parliament to conclude that Rwanda is safe. The new Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill will provide Parliament with the opportunity to do so. Further information can be found in our published policy statement: Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill: policy statement.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the costs incurred to date of the asylum transfer scheme with Rwanda.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The UK has provided Rwanda with an initial investment of £120m into its economic development and growth as part of the Economic Transformation and Integration Fund (ETIF). Investment has been focused in areas such as education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, and job creation. A separate payment of £20m in advance of flights was also paid last year to support initial set up costs for the relocation of individuals. Beyond this, spend will be reported as part of the annual Home Office Reports and Accounts in the usual way.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers are currently housed on the Bibby Stockholm; and for how long they intend for asylum seekers to be housed there.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The capacity of the Bibby Stockholm is around 500 people. The number of asylum seekers onboard the vessel at any one time is likely to vary due to a number of factors.
Numbers will increase in a phased approach as part of a carefully structured plan. We are conscious of the need to manage arrivals in a way that local services can support.
We are assessing how long asylum seekers will be accommodated. The maximum expected length of stay on the vessel is likely to be up to 9 months. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.