Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what review his Department is undertaking of asylum applications by people from Hong Kong who have been involved in pro-democracy campaigns; and what his planned timescale is for that review.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it with half a million individuals on humanitarian routes since 2015. All asylum claims admitted to the UK asylum system receive careful consideration. We will not remove anyone to their own, or any other country, where they would face persecution or serious harm.
Asylum decision makers carefully consider each claimant’s protection needs by assessing all the evidence provided by the claimant in light of published country information guidance. They receive extensive training on considering asylum claims and must follow published Home Office policy guidance. This includes any claims received from people from Hong Kong.
Those from Hong Kong may also be eligible for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route which was launched following China’s imposition of the National Security Law in Hong Kong. To be eligible for the route, applicants must have BN(O) status, or be the eligible family member of someone with BN(O) status.
The Home Office is currently not undertaking a specific review into asylum applications by people from Hong Kong who have been involved in pro-democracy campaigns.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department is taking steps to help protect people from Hong Kong who want to protest near the Chinese (a) Embassy and (b) Consulate in advance of the national security trial of Jimmy Lai in December 2023.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights set out that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association. This government will always fully support these rights, including the right of individuals to engage in peaceful protest.
It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to gather together and to demonstrate their views, provided that they do so within the law.
The management of demonstrations is an operational matter for the police. In certain circumstances, the police have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect those who want to exercise their rights peacefully.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much his Department spent in (a) non-Commonwealth and (b) non-EU countries on (i) security checks and (ii) other support to recruit people to work in the UK in each of the last four years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office does not provide a support function to recruit people to work in UK.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department provides (a) guidance and (b) training to police officers on ensuring that (i) Hamas logos and chants are swiftly identified and (ii) any person suspected of promoting terror in the UK is arrested.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes proscription offences seriously. Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations or individuals who may be members of or who demonstrate support for proscribed organisations are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies.
Following the terrorist attacks on Israel, the Home Secretary wrote to police chiefs in England and Wales urging them to step up patrols and use the full force of the law to tackle those inciting hatred towards our Jewish communities.
The Home Secretary and the Prime Minister have hosted a roundtable with police chiefs and the Community Security Trust (CST) to discuss the practical steps that can be taken to enhance the operational response to any potential disorder.
Public order policing has disseminated briefing materials to police forces covering hate crime and the proscription offences, including advice on the flags associated with proscribed organisations Hamas and Hizballah.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of Afghan Chevening scholars who are unable to return to Afghanistan at the end of their studies.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Home Office does not hold this information; FCDO lead on Chevening Scholars policy.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to explain changes made to Biometric Residence Permit cards to employers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government is committed to ensuring employers understand their duties when conducting right to work checks and that individuals understand how to evidence their status.
Since April 2022, holders of biometric residence permit cards (BRPs) must use the Home Office online right to work checking service to share their status with employers, rather than presenting the physical card.
The Government have published guidance for employers about the transition from BRPs to digital evidence of immigration status (eVisas), and how an eVisa can be used to prove employment rights, alongside information about the plan to phase out the use of physical documents within the immigration system before the end of 2024. Guidance will continue to be updated during the move to a ‘digital by default’ system and is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the 533,000 people offered a safe and legal route into the UK since 2015 were from Hong Kong.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office publishes data on the number of people offered entry to the UK on safe and legal routes in the “How many people do we grant protection to” section of the Immigration system statistics release.
Further details on the British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa route can be found in the “How many people come to the UK each year (including visitors)?” section of the release.Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to resume family reunification for Sudanese nationals following the closure of the visa application centre in Khartoum; and if he make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK has a proud history of supporting refugees. Since 2015, we have offered a place to over 533,000 people seeking safety in the UK.
The UK continues to welcome refugees through our existing resettlement schemes which include the global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme. The UK is proud to have welcomed Sudanese nationals through both the UK Resettlement Scheme and Community Sponsorship in 2021 and 2022.
While our safe and legal routes are some of the most generous anywhere, we cannot accommodate everyone who wants to come to the UK, and we are not able to open a bespoke route for every situation. The UK has no plans to introduce a designated scheme for Sudanese refugees.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of asylum seekers being granted permission to work three months after commencing an asylum claim on the economy.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
There are no plans.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will accept the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendation that roles in hospitality should be added to the Shortage of Occupation List.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
In the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) review of the hospitality sector earlier this year they did not recommend adding any roles to the Shortage Occupation List. The review can be viewed at: Construction and Hospitality Shortage Review (publishing.service.gov.uk)
The MAC are due to submit their full review of the Shortage Occupation List later this year, and the Government will carefully consider their recommendations once received.