Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training her Department is providing to its staff to enable them to identify asylum seekers arriving in the UK with mental health issues.

Border Force personnel receive training on identifying and helping vulnerable people at the UK border. All Home Office staff and contractors engaging with asylum seekers are trained to adopt a risk-based approach towards potential indications of vulnerability and to refer relevant cases onto the Safeguarding Hub, a dedicated resource assigned to identifying and safeguarding vulnerable asylum seekers. The Safeguarding Hub works closely with the statutory agencies to signpost vulnerable customers for support with their health and social care needs Additionally, asylum seekers have full access to the advisory services provided by Migrant Help.

The Home Office continues to support conversations on improving the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers including through its National Asylum Seeker Health Steering Group, bringing together representatives the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS, Devolved Administrations and Non-Governmental Organisations.