Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) refugees and (b) displaced Ukrainians with leave to remain in the UK to (i) secure decent employment and (ii) improve their English language skills.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
In the recently published Immigration White Paper, we committed to increase English Language proficiency across the immigration system. This change will support migrants to integrate and be active participants in their local communities.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Metropolitan Police on arrests made in a Quaker meeting house in March 2025.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The police are operationally independent of the government and make decisions on specific incidents based on their intelligence and judgment. The Home Office does not have the power to direct them to make any operational decisions. However, the Home Secretary has regular meetings with all policing leaders, including the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), covering a range of matters.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of local authorities providing housing for people seeking asylum.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Home Office is working closely with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its statutory obligations, while reducing the overall cost of asylum accommodation for the taxpayer.
A more proactive approach is being taken, placing greater emphasis on collaboration with local authorities and other key stakeholders, and building on lessons learned.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support local authorities to provide housing for people seeking asylum.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Home Office is working closely with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its statutory obligations, while reducing the overall cost of asylum accommodation for the taxpayer.
A more proactive approach is being taken, placing greater emphasis on collaboration with local authorities and other key stakeholders, and building on lessons learned.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were granted leave to enter (a) on the basis of family life as a (i) partner and (ii) parent and (b) due to exceptional circumstances in compliance with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in each year since 2022.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The requested data is not available from published statistics, and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that victims of modern slavery detained in enforcement activity for illegal working are (a) identified and (b) protected.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
All staff within the Home Office involved in immigration enforcement activity are provided with appropriate training and guidance for their roles. This includes, but is not limited to, training around Modern Slavery, the National Referrals Mechanism process and the Adults at Risk in detention policy.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) provisions and (b) safeguards her Department has put in place to help ensure that victims of modern slavery detained in recent enforcement activity for illegal working are (i) identified and (ii) protected.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
All staff within the Home Office involved in immigration enforcement activity are provided with appropriate training and guidance for their roles. This includes, but is not limited to, training around Modern Slavery, the National Referrals Mechanism process and the Adults at Risk in detention policy.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department conducted a lessons learned review of the EU settlement scheme digital status service.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Home Office conducted an end-programme lessons learnt review on the roll out of the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), of which the digital status service is part. We published two private beta reports setting out key findings of the test phases of the EUSS, including the functionality of the end-to-end online application process. These reports are available at:
EU Settlement Scheme: private beta testing phase 1 report (accessible version) - GOV.UK
EU Settlement Scheme private beta testing phase 2 report - GOV.UK
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what tailored support she plans to provide to refugees to access (a) training and (b) employment after the closure of the Refugee Employment Programme in June 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Refugee Employability Programme (REP) was designed as a time-bound programme. It will come to a natural end in June 2025 in line with the contract delivery timelines.
All refugees will continue to have access to mainstream services to support their transition into work, including employment support from DWP work coaches.
Newly granted refugees are also able to access support through Migrant Help, which includes advice on how to access the labour market.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees her Department plans to resettle through the UK's resettlement schemes in 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This country will always play our part, alongside others, to help those fleeing war and persecution, but we need a proper system where rules are enforced.
The UK welcomes refugees through our global resettlement schemes which include the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme.
The numbers resettled through the UKRS depend on a range of factors including the flow of referrals from UNHCR in the field and the availability of suitable accommodation and integration support in the UK.