Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2023 to Question 200936 on Visas: Skilled Workers, how many allegations of exploitation investigated by the Seasonal Agricultural Compliance team resulted in (a) recovery of funds and (b) other forms of compensation.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office does not publish data that would cover this request.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made toward meeting the target of securing an average of 350 additional beds for asylum seekers in dispersed accommodation per week; and when her Department expect to meet that target.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office publishes data on asylum seekers in receipt of support in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum seekers in receipt of support by accommodation type including hotels and other accommodation can be found in table Asy_D09 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. The next data release is due 23 November 2023.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress his Department has made on implementing recommendations made by (a) the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration and (b) the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner in reports on seasonal agricultural worker visas completed since 2019.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
All recommendations are complete.
Following the Inspection by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders, the Home Office signalled our intention to complete a review of the seasonal worker route. The Government will publish information pertaining to the operation of the Seasonal Worker route in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people from Hong Kong with a pending asylum claim are allowed to transfer onto the British National (Overseas) visa scheme if they have become eligible since its expansion on 30 November 2022.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
In most cases, a person with a pending asylum claim can make an application to the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route. However, all applications need to meet the relevant requirements to be granted, including the suitability requirements.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to bring forward regulations on the commencement of sections of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 that do not come into force on the date on which that Act receives Royal Assent.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Illegal Migration Act 2023 is a landmark piece of legislation which will deliver some of the biggest changes in decades to our migration system. As is standard practice for any legislation, commencement of the measures in the new legislation will take place over the next coming weeks and months.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of inadequately documented arrivals by air.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government’s number one priority is keeping the UK safe. As such, the UK is launching an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to further strengthen the security of our border.
The ETA scheme will close the current gap in advance permissions for non-visa national visitors to the UK and enhance the Government’s ability to screen such travellers and prevent the travel of those who pose a threat to the UK, making the UK safer.
Under the Carriers Liability scheme, carriers already have responsibilities to ensure their passengers are properly documented for travel to the UK and may be subject to charges if they allow them to travel without the correct documentation. Details of the scheme are published on gov.uk.
To assist carriers, the Home Office issues core guidance regarding the necessary check’s carriers are expected to undertake. The Home Office regularly train carriers and their handling agents in the UK and overseas, in documentary requirements and detection techniques. The Home Office publishes alerts to highlight any new trends or arising issues and provides a 24-hour carrier call service to advise carriers on specific documentation concerns.
Home Office teams overseas work closely with UK based colleagues who analyse travel data. Where high risk passengers are identified, teams engage with airlines to ensure that the individual is entitled to travel on the documentation held. Overseas teams are located around the globe, and the focus of their activities is kept under constant review.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to An inspection of Border Force insider threat (January – March 2023), published by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on 7 September 2023, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications of low morale among Border Force officers for her Department’s efforts to reduce the number of asylum seekers crossing the channel in small boats.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The ICIBI’s report acknowledged that Border Force has built strong organisational trust and has a supportive culture through a specific programme for identifying and preventing insider threats, which built on existing vetting and security procedures. The Home Office has also instituted several support mechanisms to provide help to its staff.
However, the Home Office does not recognise the morale of staff to be a current issue in the response to, and management of, dangerous, illegal and unnecessary crossings of the Channel by migrants in Small Boats. The Small Boats Operational Command (SBOC) of Border Force has a number of support mechanisms in place to provide help to its staff and so lesson risks to morale. Since integrating into Border Force, and with new governance structures in place, the Small Boats Operational Command (SBOC) can proactively manage and prioritise mental health and wellbeing in line with the wider Command, ensuring staff feel supported.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's press release entitled UK and Türkiye strengthen partnership to help tackle illegal migration, published 9 August 2023, whether her Department has reached an agreement on a framework for the return of failed asylum seekers of (a) Turkish or (b) any other nationality from the UK to Turkiye.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK and Türkiye are close strategic partners and have agreed to enhance cooperation on tackling the illegal movement of migrants. This covers close engagement and support in numerous areas, and we are bolstering our resources, for example to enable collaboration on joint law enforcement operations to disrupt the criminal gangs who are facilitating and profiting from illegal journeys. As a cooperative initiative in development it is not possible to set out the parameters or extent of UK funding, but any financial support offered will be agreed with our partners, and focused in areas that will bolster our effectiveness in tackling this shared challenge.
Anyone with no right to be in the UK and whose appeal rights are exhausted is expected to leave the UK. Those who can return home but refuse to do so will face enforced removal, including Turkish nationals.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press release, UK and Türkiye strengthen partnership to help tackle illegal migration, published on 9 August 2023, what the total amount of financial support is which the Government plans to provide to Turkiye for the purposes of implementing any plans set out in an agreement between the UK and Turkiye.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK and Türkiye are close strategic partners and have agreed to enhance cooperation on tackling the illegal movement of migrants. This covers close engagement and support in numerous areas, and we are bolstering our resources, for example to enable collaboration on joint law enforcement operations to disrupt the criminal gangs who are facilitating and profiting from illegal journeys. As a cooperative initiative in development it is not possible to set out the parameters or extent of UK funding, but any financial support offered will be agreed with our partners, and focused in areas that will bolster our effectiveness in tackling this shared challenge.
Anyone with no right to be in the UK and whose appeal rights are exhausted is expected to leave the UK. Those who can return home but refuse to do so will face enforced removal, including Turkish nationals.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberafan Maesteg)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the National Audit Office report entitled Asylum Accommodation and support, published 3 July 2020, what recent steps her Department has taken to improve the performance of Migrant Help in operating the Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) service.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office continues to work with Migrant Help in line with their contract to ensure that they take all rectification actions to bring about improvements. Migrant Help have increased their headcount to respond to the significant increase in demand for their services which is due to increased volumes of those destitute asylum seekers requiring accommodation.