Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) she, (b) Ministers in her Department and (c) officials in her Department had discussions with representatives of the UN High Commission for Refugees on the UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership before its publication.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The UK Government works closely with UNHCR on a whole range of issues and as such the Home Office is in regular contact at all levels.
The UK/Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership was negotiation between two states.
Representatives from across Government have since met with the UNHCR regarding the partnership with further engagement also planned.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Rwanda have (a) applied for and (b) been granted asylum in the UK in each of the last five years.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum applications raised, by nationality, are published in table Asy_D01, and data on the outcomes of asylum applications at initial decision, by nationality, are published in table Asy_D02 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the end of December 2021.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the impact of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit on the number of in-person inspections at establishments which conduct animal testing.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Regulator’s audit programme for compliance assurance purposes will be delivered in accordance with the requirements defined in the legislation. This includes unannounced visits to licensed establishments.
The Regulator has strengthened its regulatory oversight and published its process of full system audits at: www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-research-technical-advice#process-and-standards-for-establishment-full-system-audits.
The UK legal framework requires each Establishment that uses animals in science to have strong governance systems that are published in the Standard Conditions of licences found on the Regulator’s website at:
www.gov.uk/guidance/research-and-testing-using-animals.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any of Department’s spending in response to the Ukraine crisis will be accounted for as Official Development Assistance.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The UK has now pledged around £400m of ODA grant aid (counted as part of the 0.5% Gross National Income) for economic and humanitarian support in response to the crisis, to help ensure the continued running of vital services for Ukrainians and contribute to the international humanitarian response.
The Home Office have launched the Ukraine Family Scheme which allows applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the UK. The Home Office is working closely with departments across government on the design and funding of these new routes, this includes ODA eligibility.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support people from Ukraine wishing to apply to come to the UK who face a language barrier and require assistance with (a) translation and (b) interpreting.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office and its commercial partners have translated and published local guidance into Ukrainian for those requiring it. In addition, we have deployed several Ukrainian speaking staff to our operation in Poland.
Furthermore, the webpage for the Ukrainian Family scheme and the factsheet for Ukrainians looking to apply for the Homes for Ukraine Scheme are available in English, Russian and Ukrainian.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has put measures in place to receive potential refugees fleeing conflict in Ukraine.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government has taken significant steps to support Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.
First, we have introduced a fee-free, bespoke Ukraine Family Scheme. The route allows both the immediate family members (spouse, civil partner, durable partner, minor children) and extended family members (parent, grandparent, adult children, grandchildren, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in laws and their immediate family) to join their relatives in the UK. The UK-based sponsoring relative must be a British citizen, a person who is present and settled in the UK (including those with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme), a person in the UK with refugee leave or with humanitarian protection or an EEA or Swiss national in the UK with limited leave under Appendix EU (pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme). This route was launched on 4 March.
We have also launched the Homes for Ukraine scheme on 18 March. The scheme is fee-free and allows Ukrainians with no family ties to the UK to be sponsored to come to the UK. Ukrainians arriving in the UK under this scheme will be granted leave to remain for three years, and can work, and access benefits and public services, giving them certainty and securing their future in the country.
This bespoke sponsor route will help Ukrainians who have sadly been forced to flee their homes. It will allow sponsors, such as communities, private sponsors or local authorities, to bring people to the UK. They will be able to work and the sponsor would provide housing and integration support.
We are working closely with devolved governments and local authorities to ensure individuals and organisations who want to sponsor an individual or family can volunteer to do so, who will then be matched with Ukrainians in need.
We will keep our support under constant review.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Homes for Ukraine scheme to provide the same (a) support and (b) rights to people feeling violence in Afghanistan.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Since 2015, we have resettled more than 27,000 refugees through safe and legal routes directly from regions of conflict and instability - more than any other European country. Every conflict and threat situation is unique and requires a unique and tailored response.
In response to the Afghanistan crisis, this Government helped over 15,000 people to safety in the largest and fastest emergency evacuation in recent history, W have also continued to bring people to the UK, with around 1,500 people helped to enter since the evacuation. This UK Government has two schemes to facilitate resettlement in the United Kingdom of Afghan nationals at risk: the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6 January, providing up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK. Those resettled through the ARAP and ACRS receive fee-free indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK.
The Government maintains a constant review of all resettlement schemes to enable a flexible response.