Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the level of the fee to apply for indefinite leave to remain on the retention of healthcare workers on Health and Care Worker visas.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government has seen no indication that the level of the fee to apply for indefinite leave to remain is deterring the retention of healthcare workers on Health and Care Worker visas and no separate assessment has been undertaken.
The Home Office introduced the Health and Care visa on 4 August 2020. This delivers and builds upon the Government’s commitment to introduce a route which makes it quicker, easier and significantly cheaper for eligible people working in health and social care to come to the UK with their families and those who are extending their visa. This offer has been well received by the sector, with the latest immigration figures show there is a sizeable uptake of this visa offer by the sector: Why do people come to the UK? To work - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment has she made of the trends of the number of spiking-related incidents in Wales in the last 12 months.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The term spiking relates to crimes committed whereby the victim unknowingly ingests some type of drug or alcohol, generally through an injection or through having their drink or food tampered with.
There are a number of crimes which police can create in these circumstances depending on the severity of the attack and the suspected intention of the perpetrator.
Using these police recorded crime data from the four Welsh forces, the incidence of spiking related crimes has fallen during 2022 when compared to 2021. This is in line with a general fall in spiking related crimes across both England and Wales Police forces.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people (a) arrived in the UK, (b) were granted indefinite leave to remain, (c) were housed in temporary accommodation and (d) were moved into settled accommodation from each referral pathway of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme in each month since the opening of those referral pathways.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
At 4 November 2022, 22,833 people have arrived in the UK from Afghanistan, and we have granted Indefinite Leave to Remain to 12,296 individuals across the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme.
Information can be accessed by following this link: Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Work is underway to assure information on caseworking systems relating to all the individuals resettled under the ACRS and relocated under ARAP. Once this work concludes, statistics on both schemes - including the number of people resettled under each - will be included in the published Immigration Statistics.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much additional funding the Government has provided to (a) local authorities and (b) support services for the operation of contingency asylum accommodation in Wales.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Due to the continuing unprecedented high volume of small boats arrivals and the historical pressure from COVID-19 measures on the asylum system it has been necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers to meet our immediate statutory need.
Hotel occupancy levels vary daily. The total number of people housed in temporary asylum accommodation in any one month is not recorded and to provide this information could only be done at disproportionate cost. Statistics relating to supported asylum seekers residing in temporary asylum accommodation are published as Immigration Statistics under the S98 population tables. These statistics can be found at asylum and resettlement detailed datasets.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) adults and (b) children have been housed in temporary asylum accommodation in Wales in each month in 2022.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Due to the continuing unprecedented high volume of small boats arrivals and the historical pressure from COVID-19 measures on the asylum system it has been necessary to continue to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers to meet our immediate statutory need.
Hotel occupancy levels vary daily. The total number of people housed in temporary asylum accommodation in any one month is not recorded and to provide this information could only be done at disproportionate cost. Statistics relating to supported asylum seekers residing in temporary asylum accommodation are published as Immigration Statistics under the S98 population tables. These statistics can be found at asylum and resettlement detailed datasets.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the average (a) delay and (b) cost to domestic fishing companies of the Skilled Worker visa's (i) English language requirements and (ii) requirement for applicants to apply from abroad.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The English language requirements for all Skilled Workers are fundamental to successful integration into British society, helping migrants to participate in community life and work. As the Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement it is right to assess the ability of migrants to understand both written and spoken English.
The requirement to speak basic English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system, as set out in our 2019 manifesto and HM Government’s original policy statement published on 19 February 2020. The ability to speak “lower intermediate English” – understanding the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. – is not a high standard but is essential to support overseas workers and their families live and work in the UK and to integrate.
Considering the fishing industry in particular, English language ability within busy environments and areas with potentially lethal equipment is also important to fulfil health and safety requirements.
Migrant workers who do not have a good command of English are more likely to be heavily dependent on their employer, less able to understand their rights, and less able to leave their employer and seek another job. Relaxing the English language requirement would increase the risk of exploitation in an industry where this is already a widely reported concern.
It is the Government’s position that if a foreign national is coming to work within UK territorial waters (12 nautical miles), or the UK landmass, then they will need to apply for the appropriate permission to do so, this is most likely a Skilled Worker visa. Conversely, if they are working outside of the 12 nautical miles then a Skilled Worker visa is not required.
Transit visas are a type of visit visa. For any visit visa to be granted, the person must intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit, therefore it is not possible to switch into a Skilled Worker visa or any other immigration route without first doing so.
English language ability is a longstanding requirement for skilled work visas route. The fishing industry has historically recruited workers from outside the EEA and any company following the rules would therefore be used to employing migrants who meet these requirements and delays should not occur.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the requirement for those on transit visas to leave the UK before applying for a Skilled Worker Visa on the hire of foreign nationals as fishing crew members.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The English language requirements for all Skilled Workers are fundamental to successful integration into British society, helping migrants to participate in community life and work. As the Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement it is right to assess the ability of migrants to understand both written and spoken English.
The requirement to speak basic English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system, as set out in our 2019 manifesto and HM Government’s original policy statement published on 19 February 2020. The ability to speak “lower intermediate English” – understanding the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. – is not a high standard but is essential to support overseas workers and their families live and work in the UK and to integrate.
Considering the fishing industry in particular, English language ability within busy environments and areas with potentially lethal equipment is also important to fulfil health and safety requirements.
Migrant workers who do not have a good command of English are more likely to be heavily dependent on their employer, less able to understand their rights, and less able to leave their employer and seek another job. Relaxing the English language requirement would increase the risk of exploitation in an industry where this is already a widely reported concern.
It is the Government’s position that if a foreign national is coming to work within UK territorial waters (12 nautical miles), or the UK landmass, then they will need to apply for the appropriate permission to do so, this is most likely a Skilled Worker visa. Conversely, if they are working outside of the 12 nautical miles then a Skilled Worker visa is not required.
Transit visas are a type of visit visa. For any visit visa to be granted, the person must intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit, therefore it is not possible to switch into a Skilled Worker visa or any other immigration route without first doing so.
English language ability is a longstanding requirement for skilled work visas route. The fishing industry has historically recruited workers from outside the EEA and any company following the rules would therefore be used to employing migrants who meet these requirements and delays should not occur.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the suitability of the English language requirements of the Skilled Worker visa for workers who apply in order to work as members of fishing crews in the UK.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The English language requirements for all Skilled Workers are fundamental to successful integration into British society, helping migrants to participate in community life and work. As the Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement it is right to assess the ability of migrants to understand both written and spoken English.
The requirement to speak basic English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system, as set out in our 2019 manifesto and HM Government’s original policy statement published on 19 February 2020. The ability to speak “lower intermediate English” – understanding the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. – is not a high standard but is essential to support overseas workers and their families live and work in the UK and to integrate.
Considering the fishing industry in particular, English language ability within busy environments and areas with potentially lethal equipment is also important to fulfil health and safety requirements.
Migrant workers who do not have a good command of English are more likely to be heavily dependent on their employer, less able to understand their rights, and less able to leave their employer and seek another job. Relaxing the English language requirement would increase the risk of exploitation in an industry where this is already a widely reported concern.
It is the Government’s position that if a foreign national is coming to work within UK territorial waters (12 nautical miles), or the UK landmass, then they will need to apply for the appropriate permission to do so, this is most likely a Skilled Worker visa. Conversely, if they are working outside of the 12 nautical miles then a Skilled Worker visa is not required.
Transit visas are a type of visit visa. For any visit visa to be granted, the person must intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit, therefore it is not possible to switch into a Skilled Worker visa or any other immigration route without first doing so.
English language ability is a longstanding requirement for skilled work visas route. The fishing industry has historically recruited workers from outside the EEA and any company following the rules would therefore be used to employing migrants who meet these requirements and delays should not occur.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the English language requirements of the Skilled Worker visa on the hire foreign nationals as fishing crew members.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The English language requirements for all Skilled Workers are fundamental to successful integration into British society, helping migrants to participate in community life and work. As the Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement it is right to assess the ability of migrants to understand both written and spoken English.
The requirement to speak basic English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system, as set out in our 2019 manifesto and HM Government’s original policy statement published on 19 February 2020. The ability to speak “lower intermediate English” – understanding the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. – is not a high standard but is essential to support overseas workers and their families live and work in the UK and to integrate.
Considering the fishing industry in particular, English language ability within busy environments and areas with potentially lethal equipment is also important to fulfil health and safety requirements.
Migrant workers who do not have a good command of English are more likely to be heavily dependent on their employer, less able to understand their rights, and less able to leave their employer and seek another job. Relaxing the English language requirement would increase the risk of exploitation in an industry where this is already a widely reported concern.
It is the Government’s position that if a foreign national is coming to work within UK territorial waters (12 nautical miles), or the UK landmass, then they will need to apply for the appropriate permission to do so, this is most likely a Skilled Worker visa. Conversely, if they are working outside of the 12 nautical miles then a Skilled Worker visa is not required.
Transit visas are a type of visit visa. For any visit visa to be granted, the person must intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit, therefore it is not possible to switch into a Skilled Worker visa or any other immigration route without first doing so.
English language ability is a longstanding requirement for skilled work visas route. The fishing industry has historically recruited workers from outside the EEA and any company following the rules would therefore be used to employing migrants who meet these requirements and delays should not occur.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will publish the guidance on its proposed policy to reclassify modern slavery as an illegal immigration issue.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
This Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and in the UK we have a world-leading response.
There are close links between modern slavery and migration; about two thirds of potential victims are foreign nationals, and often potential victims have ongoing engagement with the immigration system.
This is not a reclassification. Modern Slavery is a harmful and exploitative crime which Home Office ministers continue to tackle and support victims.