Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will introduce protections to ensure asylum seekers under the duress of criminal gangs are not punished for failing to disclose they are being influenced.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We recognise that that all asylum seekers are potentially vulnerable, and during the asylum decision making process, we aim to ensure that particularly vulnerable claimants are identified, the particular difficulties they may face in disclosing their experiences are given due consideration when assessing their credibility, and that they are given help in accessing appropriate services.
As the Home Secretary said in her statement of 17 November, we are committed to ensuring that victims of modern slavery are quickly identified and can access the necessary support through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which is the UK’s framework for identifying and supporting victims of exploitation and human trafficking. However, we are also determined to pursue and tackle any abuse of the system to ensure it is working effectively for victims.
NRM decision-makers are trained to recognise conditions which may cause delays or inconsistencies in an individual’s account, including trauma, barriers to disclosure, and a reluctance on the part of potential victim to self-identify themselves as such. Timing of disclosure is also a relevant factor in assessing a potential victim’s modern slavery case. We will strengthen this further to ensure that it is a key consideration when deciding on the credibility of a case, whilst bearing in mind the impact that trauma has on victims of these crimes.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Restoring order and control: a statement on the Government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed legislation on the legal duty for the Home Office to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable children, as set out in the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
In developing our policies, we will take full account of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children and ensure these considerations inform policy development and relevant impact assessments. This will include consideration of our duties under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act and how this relates to local authorities duties under the Children Act 1989.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her department’s policy paper entitled Restoring order and control: a statement on the Government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed legislation on the duty for public bodies to prioritise vulnerable children, as set out in the Children Act 1989.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
In developing our policies, we will take full account of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children and ensure these considerations inform policy development and relevant impact assessments. This will include consideration of our duties under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act and how this relates to local authorities duties under the Children Act 1989.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguards her department are considering against instances where AI systems used to determine age produce incorrect results.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
This government has commissioned work to further test and trial Facial Age Estimation technology with a view to integrating it into the age assessment system subject to the results of this testing and assurance.
Assessing age is a complex task and no method or combination of methods can definitively determine age. The need to protect against incorrect results will form a key part of our testing and assurance, and subsequent policy development.
The technology will not be used in isolation but is intended to provide additional information to the decision maker.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what sliding scale her Department will use to impose visa penalties.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office keeps the returns cooperation of all its international partners under close and regular review and will not hesitate to take action where needed. Countries which do not cooperate on returns must demonstrate rapid and sustained improvements in their returns cooperation, to allow for the swift and frictionless return of their nationals who have no right to be in the UK, in order to avoid visa penalties.
If a country does not cooperate on returns, that country should no longer expect a normal relationship on visas, and this government will not hesitate to impose Visa Penalties as set out in Sections 70-74 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. This could include: requiring that entry clearance is not granted pursuant to an application before the end of a specified period; suspending the power to grant entry clearance pursuant to an application; requiring an application to be treated as invalid for the purposes of the immigration rules; or requiring an applicant to pay £190 for an application.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria her Department is using to determine if a third country is safe to deport migrants.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The criteria to designate all, or part, of a country as safe for the purpose of certification of protection or human rights claims as clearly unfounded is set out in s94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002:
(5)The Secretary of State may by order add a State, or part of a State, to the list in subsection (4) if satisfied that—
(a)there is in general in that State or part no serious risk of persecution of persons entitled to reside in that State or part, and
(b)removal to that State or part of persons entitled to reside there will not in general contravene the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Human Rights Convention.
Other countries not designated in this manner may still be considered to be safe in respect of an individual and their personal circumstances.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her department's Policy paper entitled Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, updated on 20 November 2025, what estimate has her department has made of the administrative costs of reassessing asylum claims every 30 months over a 20 year period.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The earned settlement consultation launched on 20 November 2025.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her department's policy paper entitled Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, updated on 20 November 2025, under what circumstances will refugees on core protection status be able to reunite with children under the age of 18.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The earned settlement consultation launched on 20 November 2025.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her department's Policy paper entitled Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, updated on 20 November 2025, when does her department plan to launch the consultation on new requirements for indefinite settled status of asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The earned settlement consultation launched on 20 November 2025.