Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to publish guidance on the operation of section 8AA of the Immigration Act 1971.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Guidance on the operation of section 8AA of the Immigration Act 1971 will be published in due course.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department plans to publish draft guidance on the family reunion route for Afghan nationals under pathway one of the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We committed to opening the route for separated families under Pathway 1 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) for referrals in the first half of this year and we remain on track to meet that deadline. Guidance will be published when the route is opened.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what entitlements and restrictions will be attached to leave granted under section 8AA of the Immigration Act 1971 prior to the commencement of section 2(1) of the Illegal Migration Act 2023.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The length and conditions associated with leave granted under section 8AA of the Immigration Act 1971 prior to commencement of section 2(1) of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 will be set out in full by Ministers in due course.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press statement by the Prime Minister of 22 April 2024, with which airline commercial charter planes for specific slots to remove people to Rwanda have been booked.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The Department engages with commercial partners where required to deliver on its responsibilities. The details of any such discussions are both operationally and commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the start and end times were of the two day-time and one night-time lock-in periods at Brook House IRC as of (a) 12 April 2024 and (b) 1 November 2023.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The dignity and welfare of residents across the entire immigration detention estate is of the utmost importance and the use of periods of time where individuals’ freedom of movement is restricted contributes to the maintenance of a safe and secure environment in our centres.
From 4 December 2023 the Home Office changed the lock-in times from 12.00pm-12:30pm and 5.00pm-5:30pm to 11:30am-12:30pm and 4:30pm-5:30pm. All residents need to be in their rooms for one hour between 11:30-12:30 and 4:30pm-5:30pm, with meal services provided at the end of these times. The Home Office requested this change to ensure that all residents are accounted for, that staff can conduct welfare checks on vulnerable residents, and that planned discharges can be carried out safely.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of reports of electoral irregularities in the Pakistani general election of 8 February 2024; and whether he has had discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on allowing an impartial and fair investigation of such irregularities.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a longstanding and close relationship with Pakistan. Following the general election in Pakistan on 8 February, the Foreign Secretary issued a statement which recognised the serious concerns raised about the fairness and lack of inclusivity of the elections. He underlined these points in a call with Pakistan's new Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, on 25 March. The UK encourages Pakistani authorities to examine all allegations carefully and take steps to address any irregularities.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will issue guidance on the exceptional circumstances that would permit an asylum or human rights claim made by a national of a country listed under section 80AA of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 to be declared admissible.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Section 80A(5) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and section 6(5) of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 set out some examples of what may constitute exceptional circumstances, relevant to the substantive consideration of asylum claims and to removal under the Illegal Migration Act to s.80AA(1) listed states (respectively). These examples are neither exhaustive nor relevant to all cases, and do not purport to be.
Exceptional circumstances are not defined or limited in legislation, but will be considered and applied on a case-by-case basis where it is appropriate.
When we commence and implement the wider measures as set out in section 59 of the Illegal Migration Act 2023, we will provide updated guidance to assist caseworkers in their consideration of exceptional circumstances, and the wider provisions.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the (a) needs and (b) vulnerabilities of LGBTQI+ people as part of Operation Maximise.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. We expect high standards from all of our providers, and we have a robust governance framework in place to manage service delivery of the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC). Further details can be found at: AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf.
Section G.2 of the AASC provides examples of factors which accommodation providers should consider as part of their case-by-case assessment of an individual’s needs in room sharing, including whether they identify as LGBT. This aligns with the allocation of accommodation policy which sets out that the circumstances of every person in asylum accommodation should be assessed individually. Where an individual need or safeguarding concern exists, accommodation may be provided to meet such need.
Additionally, the Home Office has published the Asylum Support Contracts Safeguarding Framework at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-support-contracts-safeguarding-framework. This framework sets out a joint, overarching approach, as well as the key controls and reporting mechanisms in place, across the AASC contracts, for safeguarding arrangements. All asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services and they can get information about how to obtain further support.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the joint letter to him from Scottish and Welsh Ministers in relation to Infected Blood Compensation and Interim Payments, dated 22 January 2024, when he plans to make interim compensation payments to bereaved parents and children.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
In October 2022, we made interim payments of £100,000 to chronic infected beneficiaries and bereaved partners registered with existing support schemes. I recognise the importance the infected blood community places on interim payments relating to those deaths not yet recognised, and the Government is working through the technical implications of recommendation 12.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the article by the former Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Rt hon. Member for Fareham, entitled Too many churches are facilitating bogus asylum claims. This must stop, published by the Telegraph on 3 February 2024, whether his Department holds evidence of churches facilitating high levels of false asylum claims.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Every asylum case is determined on its individual merits and on a case by case basis. The Home Secretary and the Church are working together to better scrutinise asylum claims based on religious persecution and ensure those in genuine need are supported, and that there are no loopholes to claiming asylum in this country.