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 has taken to consult people with prior experience of applying for refugee family reunion in the forthcoming consultation on the implementation 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 Home Office regularly engages with a wide range of experts and stakeholders when developing policy or consulting on proposals.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a response to Early Day Motion 1000, published on 24 March 2025, on ensuring stability for Ukrainian refugees in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes.
This is why the temporary sanctuary Ukraine Visa Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.
There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.
The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, will provide up to an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.
The Scheme is free to apply to. Most applicants who hold a Biometric Residence Permit may be able to reuse previously submitted biometrics (fingerprint and photograph) and may not need to attend a UK Visas and Citizenship Application (UKVCAS) service point.
The vast majority of applications are concluded well in advance of the Customer Service Standard, and the Home Office are confident in their ability to continue delivering this scheme at pace.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) support and (b) guidance provided to local authorities on the use of Public Spaces Protection Orders to prevent the use of disposable barbecues in areas at high risk of wildfire.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour (ASB), including the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately flexible in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances of each individual case.
PSPOs may be put in place by a local authority to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. This may include for example a prohibition on use of barbecues in a specific location.
Failing to comply with a requirement of a PSPO is a criminal offence. Depending on the behaviour in question, the enforcing officer could decide a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) would be the most appropriate sanction. As set out in legislation, FPNs have a fixed upper limit of £100. Provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill will increase the upper limit for breach of a PSPO to £500.
The Home Office publishes statutory guidance for frontline professionals on the use of the powers in the 2014 Act. The guidance is published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6422a19b60a35e00120cae63/2023_Update_ASB_Statutory_Guidance_-_FINAL__1_.pdf
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's revised guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 11 February 2025, on levels of community cohesion in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on 3 April to Question 40163, and on 25 February to Question 31371.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 11 February 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the good character requirement for British citizenship on long-term UK residents who were granted protection after arriving by irregular routes.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on 3 April to Question 40163, and on 25 February to Question 31371.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 11 February 2025, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people who arrived in the UK as children are not affected by changes to the guidance on the good character requirement when applying for UK citizenship as adults.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on 3 April to Question 40163, and on 25 February to Question 31371.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of UK citizenship applications refused since 10 February 2025 have had entry to the UK by irregular means cited as the reason for refusal.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to family reunion rules on the number of refugees taking dangerous journeys.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues, including family reunion, 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, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, what level of English language proficiency people applying for refugee family reunion will be expected to have.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues, including family reunion, 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, what recent discussions her Department has had with the charity sector on changes to refugee family reunion rules.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues, including family reunion, further details of which will be set out in due course.