Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which airports her Department plans to use to deport women who have been detained at Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Most enforced immigration returns are undertaken using scheduled flights, alongside fare-paying passengers from airports around the UK based on a case by case assessment of the individuals needs and to best meet operational needs and maximise value for money.
This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to provide accommodation for women released from Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre to continue their asylum claims.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute can make an application for support and accommodation whilst their application for asylum is being considered.
All asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services, and they can get information about how to obtain further support.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans for work to be used as a form of recreation for women detained at the proposed Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Paid activities are provided in immigration removal centres in accordance with Rule 17 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 to meet the recreational and intellectual needs of detained individuals. Paid activities are entirely voluntary and are offered in addition to a range of recreational activities, such as educational opportunities, access to a library and gymnasium and religious services.
Hassockfield immigration removal centre (IRC), due to open in autumn 2021 for around 80 women, will offer services and recreational opportunities focused on the specific needs of women and akin to those available at Yarl’s Wood IRC.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to provide accommodation for women released from Hassockfield Immigration Removal Centre to continue their asylum claims.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with (a) the Refugee Council, (b) local refugee support groups and (c) advocacy organisations prior to the commencement of plans to re-open the former Hassockfield Detention Centre in Medomsley as an Immigration Detention or Removal Centre; and whether alternatives to the incarceration of women who seek refuge in the UK have been assessed.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn.
Initial discussions with Durham County Council have taken place and will continue throughout the development of plans for the site. Consultations with local councillors, other local stakeholders and interested non-governmental organisations including the Refugee Council, will take place over the coming months.
The former Medomsley Detention Centre was demolished and rebuilt in 1988. Whilst I have every sympathy for victims of historic abuse at the former centre, officials do not have plans to undertake any consultation on the future immigration removal centre.
Now in its second year, the Action Access pilot has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community, including case management support. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research to independently evaluate this work, once the pilot concludes in March 2021. The evaluation is scheduled for publication in June 2021. We will use the evaluation to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether, before the commencement of plans to redevelop the former Hassockfield Detention Centre in Medomsley as an immigration removal centre, the Government consulted with (a) victims of historic abuse (b) other inmates at the Hassockfield Detention Centre.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn.
Initial discussions with Durham County Council have taken place and will continue throughout the development of plans for the site. Consultations with local councillors, other local stakeholders and interested non-governmental organisations including the Refugee Council, will take place over the coming months.
The former Medomsley Detention Centre was demolished and rebuilt in 1988. Whilst I have every sympathy for victims of historic abuse at the former centre, officials do not have plans to undertake any consultation on the future immigration removal centre.
Now in its second year, the Action Access pilot has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community, including case management support. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research to independently evaluate this work, once the pilot concludes in March 2021. The evaluation is scheduled for publication in June 2021. We will use the evaluation to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions were held with (a) Durham County Council, (b) local councillors and (c) other local stakeholders before plans were progressed to redevelop the former Hassockfield Detention Centre in Medomsley as an immigration removal centre; and what plans there are for discussions with each of those bodies before its planned opening in autumn 2021.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn.
Initial discussions with Durham County Council have taken place and will continue throughout the development of plans for the site. Consultations with local councillors, other local stakeholders and interested non-governmental organisations including the Refugee Council, will take place over the coming months.
The former Medomsley Detention Centre was demolished and rebuilt in 1988. Whilst I have every sympathy for victims of historic abuse at the former centre, officials do not have plans to undertake any consultation on the future immigration removal centre.
Now in its second year, the Action Access pilot has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community, including case management support. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research to independently evaluate this work, once the pilot concludes in March 2021. The evaluation is scheduled for publication in June 2021. We will use the evaluation to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what public consultation has been undertaken prior to the commencement of plans to re-open the former Hassockfield Detention Centre in Medomsley as an Immigration Detention Centre; and what plans she has to hold a further public consultation before the planned opening of that centre in Autumn 2021.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn.
Initial discussions with Durham County Council have taken place and will continue throughout the development of plans for the site. Consultations with local councillors, other local stakeholders and interested non-governmental organisations including the Refugee Council, will take place over the coming months.
The former Medomsley Detention Centre was demolished and rebuilt in 1988. Whilst I have every sympathy for victims of historic abuse at the former centre, officials do not have plans to undertake any consultation on the future immigration removal centre.
Now in its second year, the Action Access pilot has provided women who would otherwise be detained with a programme of support in the community, including case management support. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and they have appointed the National Centre for Social Research to independently evaluate this work, once the pilot concludes in March 2021. The evaluation is scheduled for publication in June 2021. We will use the evaluation to inform our future approach to case-management focused alternatives to detention.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) number, (b) security and (c) pay of new jobs which will be created by plans to re-open the former Hassockfield Detention Centre in Medomsley as an Immigration Detention or Removal Centre in Autumn 2021.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre by the autumn. The proposed site will provide modern, decent and secure accommodation for around 80 women. We expect approximately 200 permanent jobs to be created when the centre is fully operational.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Home Office:
What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the effect of changes to the immigration system on the UK's ability to attract overseas students.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government welcomes international students and we are committed to increasing their number.
We recently opened the new Student route, which simplifies and improves upon the previous Tier 4 route, and in summer 2021 we will further improve our offer to international students by launching the Graduate route, which will enable students to work or look for work post-study.