Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to protect UK-based human rights advocates following reports of Chinese Communist Party ‘persuade to return’ operations carried out within the UK.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated. While it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters, where we identify individuals at heightened risk, we are front footed in deploying protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate.
The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK’s approach to transnational repression to ensure we have a robust and joined up response across government and law enforcement.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Sudanese asylum seekers are awaiting a Home Office decision; and whether the Home Office considers Sudan a safe country to which asylum seekers will be returned if they fail to be given leave to remain.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ (available on gov.uk). Data on asylum applications awaiting initial decision by nationality can be found in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’.
Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relate to the year ending March 2023.
All asylum and human rights claims from Sudanese nationals are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations, taking into account relevant refugee law and country information.
The Home Office’s assessment of the general security situation in Sudan for the use of officials handling protection claims is set out in our country policy and information note on this subject of June 2023. This note is available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the outcome of the investigation by Hampshire Police into the alleged assault on Hong Kong protestors by Chinese activists on Sunday 11 June.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
These are extremely serious allegations which Hampshire Police are investigating. It would be inappropriate, at this stage, for me to comment further on an ongoing police investigation.
Freedom of expression is fundamental to who we are as a country. We do not tolerate attempts to silence, intimidate or harm those speaking truth to power.
As you would expect, Home Office officials work closely with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, as well as other government departments, to ensure that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for both those who hold BN(O) status and other Hongkongers.
I urge anyone who is concerned for their safety to contact the police.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of an alleged assault on Hong Kong protestors in Southampton by Chinese activists.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Hampshire police are investigating these allegations, it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further on this specific case.
Freedom of expression is fundamental to who we are as a country. We do not tolerate attempts to silence, intimidate or harm those speaking truth to power.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent alleged assault on Hong Kong protestors by Chinese activists in Southampton, what assessment they have made of the provisions in place to protect people from Hong Kong who have moved to the UK from (1) physical, and (2) non-physical, intimidation from mainland Chinese individuals and groups.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
It would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases. As you would expect, we continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously.
Through our world class police forces and the agencies that work with them, we take a proactive approach to protecting individuals and communities from all manner of threats. All at-risk communities should remain alert but not alarmed, and report incidents or suspicious activity through to the Police.
Home Office officials work closely with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, as well as other government departments, to ensure that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for both those who hold BN(O) (British National Overseas) status and other Hongkongers.
In April 2021, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities launched the UK-wide Welcome Programme to support BN(O) status holders.
The Programme includes:
More widely, The Security Minister is leading work to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from foreign interference through the Government's Defending Democracy Taskforce. A key priority for the Taskforce is to review the UK’s approach to transnational repression (foreign interference in communities) to ensure we have a robust and joined up response across government and law enforcement. Further, the National Security Bill, now in its final stages, represents the biggest overhaul of state threats legislation in a generation, and will drastically improve our tools to deal with the full range of state threat activity. The Bill contains provisions that will leave those seeking to coerce, including through threats of violence, for, or with the intention to benefit, a foreign state liable to prosecution in a way that they currently are not.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any attempts by Chinese officials to target family members of British parliamentarians who are currently subject to sanctions by the People's Republic of China.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. We are committed to tackling this challenge wherever it originates.
Attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable. MPs should always contact Parliamentary Security in the first instance if they experience any such behaviour. Parliamentary Security works closely with the security agencies to mitigate and manage any threats.
More broadly, we are driving forward work to protect the democratic integrity of the UK, including from threats of foreign interference, through the Defending Democracy Taskforce.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that eligible Afghans in Afghanistan are able to access the Afghan Citizens Relocation Scheme.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
In January 2022, we launched the scheme, with some of those evacuated under Op PITTING being granted a place on the ACRS and, in June 2022, we launched two further referral pathways onto the scheme.
The two further referral pathways onto the ACRS will continue to see individuals resettled to the UK. Beyond the first year of the third pathway, the Government will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome wider groups of Afghans at risk. Further detail will be set out in due course.
This is one of the most ambitious resettlement schemes in our country’s history and we are proud to offer a safe and legal route to those affected by events in Afghanistan. We look forward to welcoming new arrivals to the UK and supporting them to rebuild their lives.
We continue to work, including with likeminded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan, on resettlement issues and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the impact assessment for the Illegal Migration Bill.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We will publish an equality impact assessment and economic impact assessment in respect of the Illegal Migration Bill in due course.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what advice the (1) Home Secretary, and (2) Permanent Secretary of the Government Communications Service, received concerning the exclusion of news organisations who may not support Government policy from attending the Home Secretary’s recent trip to Rwanda; and in particular whether they considered the Government Communications Service Propriety Guidance requiring media officers to "establish their impartiality and neutrality with the news media", by dealing "with all news media evenhandedly.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Media outlets who accompanied the Home Secretary’s visit to Kigali on March 18 – 19 were BBC News, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph, GB News, Press Association, The Sun, The Times. There were also numerous outlets in the region who covered the visit.
Even-handed treatment of the media in accordance with the Government Communications Service guidelines is central to how the Civil Service communicates. Due consideration of the GCS guidelines is undertaken in Home Office communications.
All news organisations were kept informed of the progress of the visit regardless of whether they attended or not.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the list of news organisations that attended to report on the Home Secretary’s visit to Rwanda was drawn up; and at what stage that list was considered against the Government Communications Service Propriety Guidance on the need for media officers to "establish their impartiality and neutrality with the news media", by dealing "with all news media evenhandedly."
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Media outlets who accompanied the Home Secretary’s visit to Kigali on March 18 – 19 were BBC News, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph, GB News, Press Association, The Sun, The Times. There were also numerous outlets in the region who covered the visit.
Even-handed treatment of the media in accordance with the Government Communications Service guidelines is central to how the Civil Service communicates. Due consideration of the GCS guidelines is undertaken in Home Office communications.
All news organisations were kept informed of the progress of the visit regardless of whether they attended or not.