Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the reciprocal effect on UK citizens living in the EU of measures to tighten the migration to the UK of EU citizens in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government values the significant contribution that EU citizens make to our public services and our communities, and we want them to stay. The Prime Minister has given an unequivocal guarantee that they will have the absolute certainty of the continued right to live and remain in the UK after Brexit.
That certainty is being delivered by the EU Settlement Scheme, and nearly 1.5 million people have already been granted status under the scheme. That status will enable EU citizens and their family members to secure their rights in UK law, with the same rights to work and access benefits and services as they have now. The scheme will cover all EU citizens living in the UK before Brexit on 31 October, and their family members, and they will have until at least 31 December 2020 to apply.
Freedom of movement as it currently stands under EU law will be brought to an end when we leave the EU on 31 October. From January 2021, we will introduce a new points-based immigration system. This will prioritise the skills and contributions people can make to the UK, rather than where they come from. In a no deal scenario, there will be a transitional period before the new immigration system commences in 2021. We have announced details of the temporary immigration arrangements that will operate during this period and they are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/no-deal-immigration-arrangements-for-eu-citizens-moving-to-the-uk-after-brexit
Law-abiding EU citizens moving to the UK after a no deal Brexit will still be able to live and work in the UK for a temporary period, but we will make it harder for serious criminals to enter the UK. Those new arrivals who wish to stay beyond the end of 2020 will need to apply for a UK immigration status. The Home Office will open a new immigration scheme – the European Temporary Leave to Remain Scheme to provide a route to apply for this status. The online application process will be simple and free of charge. Subject to identity, security and criminality checks, successful applicants will be granted 36 months’ leave to remain in the UK. This will provide them with a bridge into the new immigration system from 2021.
The Government looks forward to seeing the EU27 set out such clear and generous arrangements for UK nationals living in the EU.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what penalties the Government could apply to Sopra Steria if it does not comply with its key performance indicators on the biometrics contract it has with UKVI.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on the 13th June 2019, UIN 262238
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the number of free points for biometrics was per 10,000 visa applications for 2018 against the projected number of free points for biometrics per 10,000 visa applications in 2020 on current projections of visa applications.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The specific information requested is not available.
We offer free points for biometric submission (photo and fingerprints) in the UK through the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) or overseas through Visa Application Centres (VACs).
In the UK, prior to UKVCAS customers were able to submit their biometrics in over 100 Post Office locations. Since the rollout of UKVCAS in November 2018 customers have been able to submit their biometrics and supporting evidence simultaneously through UKVCAS service points which are run by Sopra Steria (SSL) on behalf of UKVI.
There are currently six core sites across the UK at which application submission services are offered for no additional charge on top of that already paid to UKVI and beyond that, a range of enhanced services in a further 50 locations. The UKVCAS core service points offer appointments up to 35 days in advance and free appointments are available Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 16:00. Any appointments outside these times, and those at enhanced service points, are subject to additional charges.
Overseas, in 99 Visa Application Centres (VACs) across 57 countries, VFS Global and TLS Connect offer customers application submission services for no additional charge on top of the visa application fee.
In 149 locations across 105 countries, customers have the option of attending a premium only centre or submitting their biometrics through a User Pay VAC, all of which incur an additional fee. Both commercial partners allow customers to book appointments within a four week rolling window and appointments outside of core hours are subject to additional charges.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many penalties have been issued to Sopra Steria for contract non-compliance; and what the cost is of those penalties.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The information is available from Contract Finder at (Full contract) https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/ec5031ea-021e-471a-86cf-af540e8d8efa and specifically Service levels and Performance Indicators at Schedule 7 of the contract.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contingency plans he has for the repatriation of UK defendants from the EU in the event the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement and is therefore no longer party to the European Arrest Warrant procedure.
Answered by Nick Hurd
In a No Deal scenario and the absence of access to the European Arrest Warrant, the UK will operate the European Convention on Extradition with EU Member States.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the prevalence of verbal and physical harassment of non-UK EU citizens in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Data on the nationality of victims of crime is not centrally collected by the Home Office. However, police forces are free to collect this information locally.
The police may treat verbal and physical harassment of non-UK EU citizens as racially-motivated hate crimes. The Government has a robust response to all forms of hate crime. This includes a range of relevant legislation, and the Hate Crime Action Plan 2016-20. The Action Plan includes a number of commitments organised under the themes of preventing hate crime, tackling hate crime, increasing reporting, supporting victims and increasing our understanding of hate crime.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary for of State for the Home Department, what information he holds on the number of people who used the National Domestic Violence helpline in the last 12 months.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The National Domestic Violence Helpline provides a vital line of support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse, their friends and families and supporting professionals. The 24-hour helpline is available 365 days a year to provide immediate and crisis support.
The most recent figures published show that to the year ending March 2018 94,549 calls were made to the helpline.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative estimate he has made the proportion of non-UK EU citizens who have applied to the settled status scheme in (a) Wales and (b) the UK.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The third official statistics – ‘EU Settlement Scheme Statistics, June 2019’ – on the operation of the scheme were published on 18 July 2019, including applications received in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-june-2019
The Home Office is committed to publishing more detailed quarterly statistics on the EU Settlement Scheme, alongside our Immigration Statistics, from August 2019. Home Office statisticians and officials are currently considering the content and will take into account the views of statistics users.