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Written Question
Undocumented Migrants: Stoke-on-Trent
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of illegal migrants were (a) in Stoke-on-Trent and (b) housed in hotels in Stoke-on-Trent in the last 12 months; and how many have been removed since October 2023.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)

The Home Office publishes data on irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK statistics’ release. Data on detected irregular arrivals is published in table Irr_01 and data on returns of small boat arrivals is published in table Irr_02e of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK summary tables’, with the latest data up to the end of December 2023. Data on all returns is published in table Ret_D01 of the ‘Returns detailed datasets’ as part of the ‘Immigration system statistics’ quarterly release.

These statistics should not be used to infer the size of the irregular population in the UK, nor the total number of people entering the UK irregularly. The location of irregular arrivals is not published. However, the Home Office does publish data on asylum seekers in receipt of support by local authority, some of whom will have entered the UK through irregular methods, in table Asy_D11 of the ‘Asylum and resettlement data tables’ as part of the ‘Immigration system statistics’ quarterly release.


Written Question
Asylum: Staffordshire
Monday 26th February 2024

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress his Department has made on ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

As a result of the range of measures put in place to stop the boats, reform the management of the asylum accommodation estate, and deliver alternative forms of accommodation sites, we have successfully met our ministerial commitment of closing over 50 hotels in January 2024.

We continue to work with our providers on closing further hotels across the estate and will write to local authorities and MPs when a decision to close a site has been made.


Written Question
Asylum: Hotels
Tuesday 16th January 2024

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress he has made on ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers in Stoke-on-Trent.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

We are making significant progress in closing hotels, with 50 due to be closed by the end of January, and more in the coming months.

We are also working hard to move asylum seekers into alternative, cheaper accommodation and have successfully cleared the legacy backlog by deciding more than 112,000 cases, while maintaining the integrity of the system.


Written Question
Undocumented Migrants: India and Turkey
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he had with his counterparts in (a) Turkey and (b) India on tackling illegal migration from those countries.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)

Tackling illegal migration is a top priority for this government and we continue to engage with all partners on this issue.

We have a close partnership with the government of Turkey when it comes to combatting this shared problem and discuss a number of challenges with them, including how we can continue to work together to effectively tackle Organised Immigration Crime.

We also have a close and continuous relationship with the government of India on this matter and on 13 November, the Home Secretary met the Indian External Affairs Minister to discuss joint working to tackle Illegal Migration, as well as the secondary legislation currently going through parliament to designate India as a safe country, to strengthen the immigration system and help prevent abuse, including by people making unfounded protection claims.


Written Question
Demonstrations: Palestinians
Friday 24th November 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of reports that Muhammed Kathem Sawalha assisted in organising recent pro-Palestinian protests in London.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The management of protests is an operational matter for the police, as are decisions around investigations.

The Government is committed to supporting the police in the robust use of their existing powers to prevent the incitement of hatred, disorder and disruption.


Written Question
Emergency Calls: Mental Health
Wednesday 15th November 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of 999 calls related to mental health (a) nationally and (b) in each police force area in each of the last two years.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects data on volumes of 999 calls by force area.

The Home Office does not collect or publish data regarding the proportion of 999 calls related to mental health issues.

This data may be available from individual forces.


Written Question
Migrants: Health Services
Wednesday 15th November 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the immigration health surcharge to £2,700 per person per year.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The Immigration Health Surcharge rates are under review to ensure that it reflects the full cost of providing healthcare services and the extra cost pressure that the migrant-driven population growth is placing on the NHS. The Government is increasing the IHS rates, as set out in legislation laid before Parliament on 19 October. The increased IHS rates of £1,035 (full rate) and £776 (discounted rate) detailed in the Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2023 are based on the Department for Health and Social Care’s estimate of the average annual cost to the NHS of treating IHS payers.


Written Question
Visas: Married People
Wednesday 15th November 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the minimum combined income threshold for a family visa for a spouse to £26,200.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) was implemented in July 2012, reflecting the income at which a British family could no longer access income-related benefits at the time.

We keep all our immigration routes under constant review.


Written Question
Visas: Skilled Workers
Wednesday 15th November 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the skilled worker visa salary threshold for barristers and judges to £38,000 per annum.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Full information on the ‘going rates’ for eligible occupation is published on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-going-rates-for-eligible-occupations.


Written Question
Visas: Skilled Workers
Wednesday 15th November 2023

Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the skilled worker visa salary threshold for (a) laboratory technicians, (b) electrical and electronics technicians and (c) engineering technicians to £38,000 per annum.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Full information on the ‘going rates’ for eligible occupation is published on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-going-rates-for-eligible-occupations.