Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking, if any, to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We will continue to consider the full range of tools and powers available to tackle the threats that we face from Iran. That is why the whole of the Iranian state - including the IRGC and MOIS - will be placed on the Enhanced Tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme which will go live on 1 July.
On 19 May, the Home Secretary announced that we will be taking forward Jonathan Hall KC’s recommendations in his review of State Threats legislation, including the creation of a new State Threats Proscription-like Tool. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
As a matter of longstanding policy we do not comment on whether or not an individual organisation is being considered for proscription.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, as a part of the changes announced in the white paper Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May, whether they will review the salary threshold to qualify for a regulated qualifications framework level 6 for graduate route jobs, and whether that threshold will have flexibility to take account of regional variations in graduate starter salaries.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Following the proposes set out in the Immigration White paper, the Home Office will ask the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a thorough review of salary requirements (including discounts) to ensure that employers are no longer incentivised to recruit from abroad rather than train at home.
The Government will set out further details in the near future.
Further details can be found in the technical annex of the White Paper published here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions and consultation they have had with universities ahead of any new immigration and visa restrictions with regard to the impact on international students.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders, and we will continue to consult them as we implement the measures recently set out in the Immigration White paper, including in relation to student visas.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people from Ukraine are currently living in the UK under temporary visas, and how many of these people have applied for permanent settlement through the long residence application process.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes statistics relating to entry clearance visas, by nationality, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics’ quarterly release, published on gov.uk. Data on visas issued are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the entry clearance detailed dataset. The latest data relates up to the end of 2024.
Visas granted to Ukraine nationals, by visa type group | ||||||
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
Family | 283 | 287 | 171 | 27 | 43 | |
Other | 1,747 | 2,324 | 207,802 | 40,118 | 19,636 | |
Study | 1,411 | 904 | 697 | 603 | 580 | |
Work | 6,926 | 20,756 | 8,751 | 3,550 | 1,376 | |
Total | 10,367 | 24,271 | 217,421 | 44,298 | 21,635 | |
Notes: | ||||||
Ukraine scheme visas included under 'Other' visa type group. | ||||||
A visa grant does not necessarily mean that the person arrived or is currently living in the UK. Additionally, some people may have arrived on a visa in earlier years and remain in the UK. Table does not include Visitor visas. | ||||||
Information on Settlement can be found within the ‘How many people are granted settlement or citizenship?’ topic within the Immigration System Statistics publication
Grants of settlement on the basis of long residence to Ukraine nationals
Settlement (on the basis of) | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
Long Residence | 33 | 12 | 44 | 27 | 25 |
Notes:
Latest data is up to the end of 2023
A grant of settlement does not necessarily mean that the person is living in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total annual funding provided to the Community Security Trust.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant provides protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems) at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites. It is managed on behalf of the Home Office by the Community Security Trust. The Community Security Trust will receive funding of £18 million per year through the JCPS from 2024/25 to 2027/28.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to enable Ukrainian individuals currently living legally in the UK under temporary visas to convert these visas into a permanent right to stay, either as a bespoke scheme or through any other provision.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes.
This is why the temporary Ukraine Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.
There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they can provide an update on their process of considering a reclassification of the drug ketamine.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government wrote to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) on 14 January to commission updated advice on ketamine, including whether it should be reclassified to become a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
This letter is published on GOV.UK. Updated harms assessment of ketamine: commissioning letter - GOV.UK
We will carefully consider the ACMD’s recommendations before making any decision.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they have not proscribed the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
While the UK Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.
The UK Government has long been clear about our concerns over the malign activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The UK maintains sanctions on over 400 Iranian individuals and entities covering human rights abuses and nuclear proliferation. The Government has also imposed sanctions on the IRGC in its entirety and on several senior security and political figures in Iran, including senior commanders within the IRGC and its Basij force.
On 24 January 2024, we took coordinated action with the US and imposed sanctions on several members of the IRGC for their involvement in plots to assassinate individuals on UK soil. Following Iran’s attack against Israel on 13 April, the UK has sanctioned a number of individuals and companies with links to Iran’s UAV and missile industries, as well as leading Iranian military figures and entities that have enabled Iran’s destabilising regional activity.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to take steps, either judicial or legislative, to ensure that the decision of the Northern Ireland High Court disapplying certain provisions of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 is reversed.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Government is considering the judgment carefully before deciding on next steps.
The Government has consistently made clear that the provisions in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement referred to in the Windsor Framework were developed specifically against the background of Northern Ireland's unique circumstances. They do not concern and should not be brought into the complex legal debate concerning illegal migration. The Government will take all steps to defend that position, including through appeal.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that immigration rules will apply equally across the whole of the UK and that there will be no internal UK immigration borders.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Immigration is a reserved matter and the Government has consistently applied immigration law on a UK-wide basis.
Tackling illegal migration is a top priority for the Government and preparatory work continues to enable flights to Rwanda to begin in the coming weeks.