Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to expedite biometric residence permit applications for Afghans evacuated under Operation Pitting and who have been in bridging hotels for over a week.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The government has announced that those arriving under ARAP and ACRS will receive Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Following the policy statement the Government published on 13 September in relation to ILR, we are working through the cases of those who have recently arrived from Afghanistan and are processing them in line with the published policy.
No one will be required to leave the United Kingdom, or be disadvantaged in any way, while we work through their cases.
More information can be found in the Afghanistan Resettlement and Immigration Policy Statement
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department has sent to people who have passports with an expiry date over ten years after the issue date to inform them of changes to passport validity requirements.
Answered by Kevin Foster
A cross-government campaign has run since November 2018, and has been updated three times, the most recent iteration was on 8 September 2020, which was to inform citizens of changes as a result of the end of the transition period following the UK’s exit from the European Union.
This campaign promoted the new passport validity rules for travel to most countries in Europe, as well as promoting Her Majesty’s Passport Office’s online passport checker, where customers can enter their details to see if HM Passport Office recommend they renew their passport to meet these new rules. This checker can be found at the following website:
www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe
HM Passport Office has been directing customers to the checker using SMS and email, subject to the customer’s details being held from the previous application. For over-16s, these messages are sent to customers whose passport was issued over nine and a half years previously.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support the Government is providing to Afghan interpreters who are already in a third country; and what her timeframe is for those Afghan interpreters (a) to receive a decision on relocation and (b) travelling to the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We have already broadened the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) in recent weeks to allow eligible individuals to apply from third countries and updated guidance can be found Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The end of evacuation flights out of Afghanistan does not signify the end of the scheme. It remains open.
Work is underway with the MOD and FCDO to support the logistics of relocation of those accepted as eligible for ARAP who are already in third countries.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have waited over four weeks for access to a working Aspen card from the date of their application in (a) the UK, (b) Wales and (c) Newport East in 2021.
Answered by Kevin Foster
All Home Office projects, including the delivery of the new contract providing asylum support payments, have robust risk management mechanisms and practices in place. Engagement with our strategic delivery partners, accommodation providers and Migrant Help-including the consideration of risks-took place well in advance of the project rollout/go-live.
This will continue through an already-established service delivery management process which ensures ongoing risks are understood and appropriately managed across the many different provisions which support the asylum-seeking population.
The number of people eligible for asylum support; as well as the card activation rate; is a fluid and fluctuating figure. They change on a daily basis due to new service users entering the system, the provision of support and card activation numbers in particular increasing over time.
Fully functioning and tested Aspen cards have been distributed to all service users. The vast majority have activated it and have been using it successfully since the service went live on Monday 24th May 2021. Where replacement cards have been requested, they are being actioned swiftly and are being dispatched to service users accordingly.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what risk assessments were made ahead of her Department's change of contractor for the provision of Aspen cards.
Answered by Kevin Foster
All Home Office projects, including the delivery of the new contract providing asylum support payments, have robust risk management mechanisms and practices in place. Engagement with our strategic delivery partners, accommodation providers and Migrant Help-including the consideration of risks-took place well in advance of the project rollout/go-live.
This will continue through an already-established service delivery management process which ensures ongoing risks are understood and appropriately managed across the many different provisions which support the asylum-seeking population.
The number of people eligible for asylum support; as well as the card activation rate; is a fluid and fluctuating figure. They change on a daily basis due to new service users entering the system, the provision of support and card activation numbers in particular increasing over time.
Fully functioning and tested Aspen cards have been distributed to all service users. The vast majority have activated it and have been using it successfully since the service went live on Monday 24th May 2021. Where replacement cards have been requested, they are being actioned swiftly and are being dispatched to service users accordingly.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason Afghan interpreters who married after moving to the UK cannot bring their spouses to the UK via the Afghan relocations and assistance policy or ex-gratia schemes.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The intention of the relocation schemes for Afghan locally employed staff is to enable eligible local staff to relocate with their existing family members. We will though consider exceptional circumstances on a case by case basis, taking into account the level of risk faced and family dependencies.
Where people choose to marry or start a relationship after relocating to the UK, their partner can apply for a visa to come to the UK under the usual family immigration rules.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support the Government is providing to Afghanistan-based spouses of Afghan interpreters who are based in the UK in cases where the marriage occurred after the interpreter re-settled in the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government recognises the vital role of interpreters in operations in Afghanistan. This is why there are two dedicated schemes designed to help them relocate to the UK: the ex-gratia scheme and the Afghan relocations and assistance policy (ARAP). Over 1,300 former Afghan interpreters, and their family members, have been relocated to the UK under these schemes since 2014.
Under the immigration rules, only partners and dependent children under the age of 18, who are not married or leading an independent life are eligible under the relocation schemes.
We will consider exceptional circumstances on a case by case basis taking into account the level of risk faced and family dependencies.
Those who apply and are approved for relocation are brought to the UK as soon as suitable accommodation has been sourced and support arrangements are in place.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the length of time taken during police misconduct hearings.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
It is very important that both misconduct investigations and disciplinary proceedings are dealt with in a timely manner.
The Home Office introduced new legislation in February 2020, which includes provisions to improve the timeliness of misconduct hearings. Greater powers for Legally Qualified Chairs (LQCs) allows them to better case manage hearings through the introduction of pre-hearings. This sets specified time limits for hearing dates to be fixed and ensures earlier management of disclosure, legal arguments and witnesses.
This legislation also includes provisions to improve the timeliness of investigations themselves, with specified action if an investigation is not completed within 12 months. This means that the investigating force, or Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), must put in writing to the Local Policing Body (or police force in the case of the IOPC) what progress it has made, why it hasn’t completed the investigation and what it proposes to do to conclude the investigation.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2021 to Question 151645, what services are provided by her Department's service providers in (a) Newport and (b) Monmouthshire for people supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in Dispersed Accommodation who are shielding or self-isolating.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Our asylum accommodation providers have put in place a range of measures and additional support to enable households to comply with public measures on social distancing and self-isolation. This has included food parcels and other items for people who are unable to leave the house, provision of telephony for those who are isolating and do not have a telephone, as well as increased welfare contact for those who are isolating.
For those in dispersal accommodation, service user essential living needs -including for cleaning and sanitary items - are met through a weekly cash allowance.
All asylum seekers in our accommodation have access to our Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) service provider, Migrant Help. They can contact Migrant Help 24 hours a day if they need assistance or guidance on COVID-19 or other issues – including reporting any concerns with accommodation.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the processing times are for the removal of the no recourse to public funds condition in migrants' visas for applicants who have lost their jobs as a result of the covid-19 pandemic and are experiencing severe financial hardship.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Migrants with leave under the Family and Human Rights routes can apply, for free, to have their NRPF condition lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application if they are destitute or at risk of destitution, if the welfare of their child is at risk due to their low income, or where there are other exceptional financial circumstances.
The Home Office does not hold data on the processing times for the removal of the no recourse to public funds condition in migrants’ visas for applicants who have lost their jobs as a result of the covid-19 pandemic and are experiencing severe financial hardship. Data published covers all change of conditions applications, regardless of the reason the application has needed to be made.
Change of conditions decisions are being prioritised and are being dealt with compassionately. Data published in November 2020 shows that 85% of change of conditions applications have been granted and the average time taken to make a decision is now 17 days, down from 45 days in the previous quarter. Against a backdrop of a huge increase in change of conditions applications there has been a significant drop in processing times.