Asked by: Lord Harper (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many hotels were housing asylum seekers in (1) July 2023, (2) July 2024, and (3) either July 2025 or the most recent month for which data is available.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government recognises that hotels are not a sustainable solution for accommodating asylum seekers and remains committed to ending their use, already reducing the number in operation. We do not provide a running commentary on hotel numbers, our objective is to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament, reducing costs to the taxpayer and restoring control to local communities.
Asked by: Lord Harper (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the legal basis for the pilot small boat crossings returns scheme with France.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Individuals will be removed to France using our existing legislation. Our inadmissibility, certification and removal processes are well established in published guidance and enable us to declare asylum and humanitarian protection claims inadmissible, not substantively consider them in the UK and quickly remove relevant individuals to a safe third country.
An Immigration Rule change will be made to operationalise the new legal route into the UK. The full legal basis will be presented to Parliament in due course and the operational arrangements – which have been discussed with European partners – will also be set out to Parliament in due course.
Asked by: Lord Harper (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to keep Parliament informed about the progress of the UK–France returns agreement, including (1) the start date of the pilot scheme, and (2) the progress of the pilot scheme, in particular with regard to details of different approaches used and the number of migrants returned to France.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Individuals will be removed to France using our existing legislation. Our inadmissibility, certification and removal processes are well established in published guidance and enable us to declare asylum and humanitarian protection claims inadmissible, not substantively consider them in the UK and quickly remove relevant individuals to a safe third country.
An Immigration Rule change will be made to operationalise the new legal route into the UK. The full legal basis will be presented to Parliament in due course and the operational arrangements – which have been discussed with European partners – will also be set out to Parliament in due course.
Asked by: Lord Harper (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what approvals are needed from (1) the European Union, and (2) other EU members states, before the pilot small boat returns scheme with France can begin.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Individuals will be removed to France using our existing legislation. Our inadmissibility, certification and removal processes are well established in published guidance and enable us to declare asylum and humanitarian protection claims inadmissible, not substantively consider them in the UK and quickly remove relevant individuals to a safe third country.
An Immigration Rule change will be made to operationalise the new legal route into the UK. The full legal basis will be presented to Parliament in due course and the operational arrangements – which have been discussed with European partners – will also be set out to Parliament in due course.
Asked by: Lord Harper (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of challenges to deportations of foreign national offenders by her Department have been successful in each year over the last 10 years.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The British public should be in no doubt of this Government’s determination to remove criminals to protect both their victims and to make our streets safer and is fully committed to discharging the obligation under the UK Borders Act 2007, which is that a non-British citizen convicted of an offence in the United Kingdom and sentenced to 12 months or more imprisonment, and to whom an exception does not apply, be deported from the UK. All FNOs are provided an opportunity to make submissions against their deportation which are fully considered and determined upon before deportation, including, where applicable, via the Courts. We have recently brought forward the Nationality and Borders Act to help end the cycle of last-minute claims and appeals that can delay removals
The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data relating to all appeals lodged with the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber (FTTIAC). The latest statistical quarterly release can be found here:
Tribunal Statistics Quarterly: January to March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Additionally, the Home Office published a one-off statistical note release on 22 February 2022, which relates to human rights appeals brought by foreign national offenders (FNOs) and specifically those allowed on human rights grounds at the First-tier Tribunal. The data includes information management between April 2008 and June 2021.
Published research shows that most FNOs who left detention in 2017, having claimed asylum while in immigration detention, did not have their claim upheld - only 2% of asylum applicants were granted leave to remain at the initial decision, whereas 92% were not and 5% are awaiting a decision.
Issues raised by people facing return in immigration detention - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) These figures reveal a system open to abuse and are clear evidence of the need for reform. That is why the Nationality and Borders Act makes provisions to streamline the appeals process by introducing an expanded one stop process aimed at reducing the extent to which people can frustrate removals through sequential or unmeritorious claims, appeals or legal action.
Further information can be found in the New Plan for Immigration: policy statement (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and the factsheet Nationality and Borders Bill: factsheet - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)