Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) advice and (b) support her Department provides to UK citizens who wish to assist relatives in Gaza in seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 13 March to Question 35970.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 23 May 2025 from the hon. Member for Hazel Grove on evacuation from Gaza.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister for Migration and Citizenship replied on 1 July.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) safe and (b) legal routes are available for people in Gaza to seek asylum in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 13 March to Question 35970.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57756 on Asylum: Housing, whether she has a target date for making a decision on the extension of the move on period beyond June 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 13 June to Question 57756.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57756 on Asylum: Housing, what her planned timetable is for evaluating the impact of interim measures.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 13 June to Question 57756.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the temporary policy of extending the move on period for newly recognized refugees to 56 days will end.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 13 June to Question 57756.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to extend the move on period for newly recognised refugees to 56 days beyond June 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In December, the Home Office operationalised a pilot to extend the grace period to 56 days to support local authorities during a period of increased asylum decision making and with the transition to eVisas. It is important that we take the necessary time to evaluate the impact of the interim measures, including overall net costs to taxpayers, before making a decision on whether to make the measures permanent.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to consult charities on the implementation of the policies in the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Immigration White Paper, published 12 May, set out a wide range of reforms, including to student visas, further details of which will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to set out a timeline for the consultation to inform the delivery of the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Immigration White Paper, published 12 May, set out a wide range of reforms, including to student visas, further details of which will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the forthcoming consultation on the implementation of the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, will include consultation on the potential impact of changes to English language proficiency requirements on people applying for refugee family reunion.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Home Office regularly engages with a wide range of experts and stakeholders when developing policy or consulting on proposals.