Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of UK asylum processing backlogs on Scottish local authority public services.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We have restored order to what was a huge backlog of cases, with a streamlined and stable caseload that can be processed quickly and efficiently, ensuring people spend less time awaiting an initial asylum decision.
At the end of June 2026 there were 40,168 people (relating to 32,401 cases) awaiting an initial decision, 56% less than at the end of June 2025 and the lowest level since June 2019.
The Home Office recognises the importance of a smooth transition for individuals leaving asylum accommodation following a positive asylum decision. We have deployed Asylum Move On Liaison Officers (AMLOs) across the UK, including in Glasgow and Aberdeenshire. AMLOs work with newly granted refugees, local authorities and partner organisations to support successful move on from asylum accommodation.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with local authorities, Strategic Migration Partnerships and other stakeholders to understand local pressures and address issues raised by local partners.
To support local planning and preparedness, the Home Office shares the Discontinuation Prediction Tool (DPT) on a weekly basis. This provides a forward look of cases expected to enter the discontinuation process and the potential number of individuals who may seek support from local authorities following a positive asylum decision.
Following notification from the Home Office that a decision has been served, accommodation providers notify local authorities within two working days. The Home Office continues to work with accommodation providers to support consistent and timely notifications across all areas.
The steps we have already taken to streamline the asylum process and increase our efficiency are paying off and is an important achievement in building an asylum system that is efficient, sustainable and flexible.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to clause 23(5) of the Immigration and Asylum Bill, whether her Department intends to carry out individual destitution tests on all refugees or whether a minimum income threshold will be set.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Immigration and Asylum Bill introduces the principle that, where a person has received taxpayer-funded asylum support and later becomes financially able to contribute towards those costs, it is right and fair that they should do so.
The detailed design of the scheme, including repayment thresholds and rates, will be set out in secondary legislation.
The policy intent is that repayment will only begin once an individual reaches a defined threshold for repayment and that deductions will be set at a manageable rate so that recovery remains proportionate and does not cause hardship or destitution.
Any regulations will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny and there will be clear safeguards to ensure the scheme operates fairly.
Draft regulations will be shared during the passage of the Immigration and Asylum Bill through Parliament.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of international graduates who have remained in the UK via the Graduate Route visa since its introduction; and what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of their contribution to the economy.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on extensions of stay as part of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release. Data on the number of grants issued under the Graduate route since its introduction are published in table Exe_D01 of the Extensions detailed datasets. The latest data is available up to the end of June 2026.
These statistics relate to grants rather than unique individuals and, therefore, should not be interpreted as a direct count of people. However, they should provide a reasonable proxy for the number of individuals who have extended their stay in the UK under the Graduate route. The data can be broken down between main applicants and their dependants.
Migration Statistics are not currently aware of any estimates of the contribution of these individuals to the UK economy.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of international examples of regional migration schemes, including those operating in Canada and Australia, and their applicability to Scotland.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Regional migration schemes would create internal borders within the UK, which operates on a much smaller geographic scale to Canada or Australia and has fewer barriers to people relocating within it. The Migration Advisory Committee has looked at this issue many times and found the labour market needs of the different UK nations to be broadly similar.
Employment is a devolved matter and migration is only a small part of the labour market. However, our approach is to link migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems in the UK. As such, the Devolved Governments are represented in our new Labour Market Evidence Group to take account of workforce needs in different areas of the UK.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of whether the current immigration system meets Scotland’s projected workforce needs over the next ten years.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Regional migration schemes would create internal borders within the UK, which operates on a much smaller geographic scale to Canada or Australia and has fewer barriers to people relocating within it. The Migration Advisory Committee has looked at this issue many times and found the labour market needs of the different UK nations to be broadly similar.
Employment is a devolved matter and migration is only a small part of the labour market. However, our approach is to link migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems in the UK. As such, the Devolved Governments are represented in our new Labour Market Evidence Group to take account of workforce needs in different areas of the UK.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the use of AI facial age estimation technology by Border Force and police on vulnerable children.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Robust age assessments are essential for both border security and safeguarding. Facial Age Estimation is not yet in use and will continue to be tested before its expected implementation in 2027.
It will support trained staff, who will always make the final decision.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to establish a pathway to (a) settled status and (b) Indefinite Leave to Remain for Ukrainians who wish to remain in the UK.
Answered by Mike Tapp
The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE) reflects a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict.
On 24 February, the Government confirmed in Parliament that the UPE scheme would be extended for an additional 24 months to enable those eligible to obtain a further period of permission. The Government also announced that anyone applying for permission under UPE will be able do so within the final 90 days of their current permission rather than the current 28-day period. This will provide greater flexibility and assurance, allowing applicants to secure their future in the UK with confidence and ease.
The UK Government has always been clear that our offer of temporary sanctuary under the Ukraine Schemes is not a pathway to settled status and does not lead to indefinite leave to remain in the UK. This respects the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for the future return of its citizens when it is safe to do so. However, the Government recognises the importance of providing long-term certainty for Ukrainians living in the UK. We are committed to setting out the future arrangements clearly, and a further statement outlining the long-term position will be issued later this year.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what transitional arrangements will be available for Ukrainian families with children approaching the age threshold for private life applications.
Answered by Mike Tapp
Ukrainian families with children who are in the United Kingdom under any of the Ukraine schemes can apply to switch onto another immigration route within the Immigration Rules, including the Private Life route.
Applicants must ensure that they meet the requirements of the immigration category to which they intend to switch.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance will be issued to local authorities, employers, universities and support organisations on the 24 month extension of the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.
Answered by Mike Tapp
The Government will update the relevant GOV.UK pages to reflect the 24‑month extension of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme once the necessary changes to the Immigration Rules are in force. GOV.UK will remain the single authoritative source of information for applicants and stakeholders and updates will be published ahead of the first cohort of UPE permissions expiring.
These updates will ensure that local authorities, employers, education providers and support organisations have access to the latest information on eligibility, the extended 90‑day application window, and evidencing rights. We will keep Local authorities up to date through the existing Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Schemes communication channels.
Individuals granted permission under the extended UPE scheme will continue to have the same entitlements to work, benefits, healthcare and education as under the existing Ukraine schemes.
The Department for Education has confirmed that students with permission under the Ukraine Schemes - including those who receive an extension under the UPE arrangements remain eligible for home‑fee status and student support where they meet the standard residence requirements.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on her Department’s plans to move asylum seekers into military barracks in Scotland; and what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on that subject.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The Home Office has engaged with Scottish Government, as well as other local stakeholders including Highland Council, the Police, NHS, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and others since plans were announced in October 2025. The department will continue to engage regularly with all statutory partners as plans are progressed. Key information about the plans discussed with local partners can be found on the factsheet Cameron Barracks, Inverness: factsheet - GOV.UK, which will be updated as further information becomes available.