Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to welcome a larger number of vulnerable Afghans eligible for the Afghanistan citizens’ resettlement scheme in the event that the 20,000 quota is reached by the second year.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government has worked at pace to develop a new and bespoke resettlement scheme, announced on 18 August, which will relocate 5,000 vulnerable people in its first year. The ACRS is one of the most generous schemes in our country’s history, which will give up to 20,000 people at risk a new life in the UK over coming years.
We must ensure people can be properly supported when they get to the UK. A huge programme of work spanning different government departments, charities, NGOs, local authorities and communities is already underway to resettle people safely and provide support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. It is right that we support local authorities, and that we do not take more people than we can accommodate.
Some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – will be the first to be resettled under the ACRS.
The Government will work with international partners and NGOs in the region to implement a referral process for those inside Afghanistan, (where safe passage can be arranged) and for those who have recently fled to other countries in the region. We will need some time to work through the details of this process, which depends in part on the situation in Afghanistan.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to welcome a larger number of vulnerable Afghans eligible for the Afghanistan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme in the event that the 5,000 quota is reached within the first six months of the first year.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government has worked at pace to develop a new and bespoke resettlement scheme, announced on 18 August, which will relocate 5,000 vulnerable people in its first year. The ACRS is one of the most generous schemes in our country’s history, which will give up to 20,000 people at risk a new life in the UK over coming years.
We must ensure people can be properly supported when they get to the UK. A huge programme of work spanning different government departments, charities, NGOs, local authorities and communities is already underway to resettle people safely and provide support including with healthcare, education, jobs and housing. It is right that we support local authorities, and that we do not take more people than we can accommodate.
Some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – will be the first to be resettled under the ACRS.
The Government will work with international partners and NGOs in the region to implement a referral process for those inside Afghanistan, (where safe passage can be arranged) and for those who have recently fled to other countries in the region. We will need some time to work through the details of this process, which depends in part on the situation in Afghanistan.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of Afghan nationals who will be granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Since April 2021, we have relocated around 7,000 under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy, and 1,400 former staff and families were relocated between 2013 and March 2021 under the previous scheme for Afghan interpreters. The ARAP scheme will remain open to those eligible, and in addition we are committed to resettling up to 20,000 under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme in the coming years.
Those arriving under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy or Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme will receive fee-free indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Those who have already relocated to the UK under Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy or the previous scheme for Afghan Locally Employed Staff and were granted limited leave are able to apply free of charge and at any point within the period of their temporary leave to convert it to indefinite leave to remain.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan nationals are in asylum detention centres; and what plans her Department has to remove those nationals from detention centres.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Home Office publishes data on people in immigration detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. The number of people in detention on the last day of each quarter are published in table Det_D02 of the Detention detailed datasets. The data include those detained under immigration powers in HM prisons from July 2017 and can be broken down by nationality of detainee and place of detention.
The latest data relates to the number of people in detention at the end of June 2021.
The Government is committed to a fair and humane immigration policy that welcomes those here legally, but tackles abuse and protects the public. There is a presumption in favour of liberty for all individuals and decisions to detain are taken on a case by case basis. Published Home Office detention policy is clear that detention must only ever be used sparingly and for the shortest period necessary.
Once a person is in detention, regular reviews are undertaken to ensure that their detention remains lawful, appropriate and proportionate. We do not detain people indefinitely. In order to protect the public, it is important that suitable accommodation is sourced prior to their release due to the risks associated with managing offenders in the community and the often-specific accommodation requirements.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long families of British nationals who have been evacuated to (a) Italy and (b) other third countries will have to wait for their visas to be processed to join their families in the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The UK’s evacuation operation helped over 15,000 people to safety including British nationals, Afghan interpreters, and other vulnerable people. Whilst the success of that operation exceeded our assumptions, we know that there are many left in difficult circumstances. Colleagues in the UK and overseas continue to work urgently with international partners, including those in neighbouring countries, to secure safe routes as soon as they become available.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her timetable is for (a) publishing the full details of the Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme and (b) opening that scheme.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government has worked at pace to develop and launch the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which will provide a safe and legal route for up to 20,000 Afghans in the region over the coming years, with 5,000 in the first year – one of the most generous schemes in British history.
On Monday 13th September the Government published a policy statement which set out further details on the policy and operation of the ACRS, and the package of integration support that will be offered to those arriving through the Scheme.
This policy statement confirmed that some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – including women’s rights activists, prosecutors and journalists - will be resettled under the ACRS
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan nationals have been processed by the UK visa and immigration service (a) prior to and (b) since August 2021.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Home Office Migration Statistics do not specifically capture the information on how many Afghan nationals have been processed. Data on the number of applications received up to June 2021 can be accessed at Migration statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found at immigration - Research and statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of how long Afghan families who have been relocated to the UK will have to wait until they are permanently housed.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
On Wednesday 18 August, the Government announced the launch of a new bespoke Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), to welcome up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghans to the UK. The scheme will focus on those most at risk and in its first year will resettle up to 5,000 vulnerable Afghans.
The time in temporary accommodation is contingent on the number of offers from local authorities with offers of permanent accommodation for families and ensure that families are moved into these homes as soon as they become available. I set out on 13th September the detail of how local authorities can offer support to Afghans.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will work with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to help ensure that mental health services are made available to Afghan refugees as soon as possible on their arrival to the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The safety and wellbeing of those who arrived from Afghanistan is of the utmost importance and we will work closely with accommodation providers and other partners to prioritise their safety and wellbeing.
We are providing £3 million to ensure Afghan receive the healthcare they need. This includes access to prescriptions, wound care and dressings, maternity care, mental health support, and screening for infectious diseases.
We will also offer the protection of a COVID-19 vaccination as they settle and rebuild.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to establish a specific programme to support Afghan refugees to settle in the UK, including help to find employment.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government has worked at pace to develop and launch a new and bespoke Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which will relocate 5,000 vulnerable people in its first year, rising to up to 20,000 over the coming years – one of the most generous schemes in British history.
On Monday 13th September the Government published a policy statement which set out further details on the policy and operation of the ACRS, and the package of integration support that will be offered to those arriving through the Scheme.
This statement confirmed that all of those brought to the UK under ARAP and ACRS will receive a comprehensive package of support that will help them to acclimatise to the UK, learn English and find work.