Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which safe third countries they expect to make deals with in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024, for the purposes of processing asylum claims as outlined in the Illegal Migration Bill for people coming to the UK via irregular routes.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We have agreed a Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, whereby those arriving in the UK through dangerous, unnecessary, and illegal methods may be relocated there to have their asylum claim considered. This arrangement is uncapped.
We are unable to comment on discussions or negotiations that may be being held with other countries.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what safe and legal routes exist for a Ugandan LGBT+ individual, who is under threat of imprisonment because of anti-homosexual laws in Uganda, and wishes to come to the UK to claim asylum as they have a family member living in the UK.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Between December 2015 and 2022, the Government’s family reunion policy has granted more than 44,659 family reunion visas, bringing many families together.
This safe and legal route allows immediate family members, as defined in the Immigration Rules, of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. Where somebody has a link to the UK, they may be eligible for our other family routes and can find more information on how to apply on gov.uk here: Indefinite leave to remain (permission to stay as a refugee, humanitarian protection or Discretionary Leave): Family reunion - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
There is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge, in keeping with almost all countries around the world. Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here.
Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, under the provisions of the Illegal Migration Bill, how many unaccompanied children seeking asylum they are planning to remove from the UK on their 18th birthday at the end of (1) 2024, (2) 2025, (3) 2026, and (4) 2027.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
As set out in clause 1(1), the purpose of the Bill is to prevent and deter unlawful migration, and in particular migration by unsafe and illegal routes, by requiring the Home Secretary to return illegal migrants to their home country or remove them to a safe third country.
An economic impact assessment will be published for the Bill in due course.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, under the provisions of the Illegal Migration Bill, how many individuals they are planning to hold in detention, ready to be removed, at the end of (1) 2024, (2) 2025, (3) 2026, and (4) 2027.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
As set out in clause 1(1), the purpose of the Bill is to prevent and deter unlawful migration, and in particular migration by unsafe and illegal routes, by requiring the Home Secretary to return illegal migrants to their home country or remove them to a safe third country.
An economic impact assessment will be published for the Bill in due course.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, under the provisions of the Illegal Migration Bill, how many people they are planning to remove to a safe third country in each of the years (1) 2024, (2) 2025, (3) 2026, and (4) 2027.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
As set out in clause 1(1), the purpose of the Bill is to prevent and deter unlawful migration, and in particular migration by unsafe and illegal routes, by requiring the Home Secretary to return illegal migrants to their home country or remove them to a safe third country.
An economic impact assessment will be published for the Bill in due course.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, for each police force in each of the last two years, how many crimes were committed by people who arrived by small boat crossings; and for each police force, what percentage of total crimes committed that figure represents.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. This information can be accessed here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables
The Home Office does not hold information on perpetrators of crime who have arrived by small boat crossings.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which police forces they have had discussions with in the last six months with regard to unaccompanied children seeking asylum that go missing from Home Office-commissioned hotels; and what evidence the police forces have indicated with regard to any of those unaccompanied children being forced into county lines drug activity and organised criminal gangs.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.
We are in contact with police forces in the regions where the unaccompanied children are being housed including as part of multi-agency forums in the event that a child does go missing.
Information about children after they have been found is held by the encountering police forces. When a young person who has previously gone missing from a hotel housing unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) is encountered or located we engage with statutory partners, including the police who will identify whether there are any concerns regarding possible trafficking; exploitation or other potential criminal activities that may require investigation.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, of the unaccompanied children seeking asylum who were housed in hotels and went missing but were subsequently found, how many were reported to, or were found to, have been involved in (1) organised crime, and (2) county lines drug activity, during the period they were missing.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.
This information is not held centrally but is held by the encountering police forces. When a young person who has previously gone missing from a hotel housing unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) is encountered or located we engage with statutory partners, including the police who will identify whether there are any concerns regarding possible trafficking; exploitation or other potential criminal activities that may require investigation.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what provisions are in place to ensure each hotel that is accommodating unaccompanied children seeking asylum has a safeguarding lead; and what percentage of hotels have in place a safeguarding lead.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.
Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of specialist social workers and nurses, with additional support provided by two professional safeguarding advisors from Safeguarding Advice and Children’s Champion Unit.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of individuals that will arrive in the UK seeking asylum in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, (3) 2025, if the provisions of the Illegal Migration Bill are enacted.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
An impact assessment will be published for the Illegal Migration Bill in due course.