Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report entitled Impact of Changes to the Ukraine Visa Schemes on Ukrainians in the UK, published by the University of Birmingham in March 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, referenced by the report, continues to provide certainty and security for Ukrainians, allowing those with permission under one of the Ukraine schemes to apply for a further 18 months to stay in the UK. This will allow a continuation of rights to work, live and study as well as access to healthcare and welfare support in the UK.
We continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders and keep the schemes under review in line with the ongoing conflict.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) her Department and (ii) agencies of her Department.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office have no direct contractual relationship with this supplier for the core departmental estate.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will allow Ukrainian citizens who have resided in the UK for four years the ability to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This Government stands with Ukraine and is committed to providing stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and those who still need our sanctuary.
To provide future certainty to those who have been provided with sanctuary in the UK under the existing Ukraine schemes, the government will be introducing a bespoke Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which will open to applications on 4 February 2025. This will allow those with existing sanctuary to apply for a further 18 months permission to remain in the UK, giving them the same rights and entitlements as they have been given under the existing Ukraine Schemes.
The Ukrainian government have been clear about their strong desire for the future return of its citizens to help rebuild Ukraine when it is safe to do so. It is important that our approach respects these wishes.
We will, of course, continue to keep the Ukraine Schemes under consistent review in line with developments in the ongoing war.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of how her Department processes visa applications submitted by Arab citizens of Israel.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Mr Speaker, applications submitted by citizens of Israel, Arab or otherwise, are assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules on their individual merits.
As part of any visa application assessment, consideration is given in cases involving compelling, compassionate, and exceptional circumstances.
Those who wish to travel to the UK can do so via the existing range of visa routes available to visit, work, study or join family in the UK.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police stations have closed in Birmingham since May 2010; and what the (a) name and (b) postcode was of each station.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not centrally collect data on the number of police station closures and has not collected this data previously.