Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish (a) reports published by and (b) minutes of any meetings since January 2019 of the Migration and Border Analysis Home Office Science Group which relate to the investigation into the benefits and merits of early intensive language courses for refugees, as referenced in the ad hoc query of 29 January 2019 to the European Migration Network made by the UK EMN National Point of Contact.

We recognise that the ability to speak English is key to helping refugees integrate into life in England, as well as to breaking down barriers to work and career progression. Home Office officials explored an early intensive language offer as part of a wider investigation into English language support for refugees. Exploration of the intensive offer was paused to avoid duplication with the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for Integration Fund (EFIF) launched by the Department for Levelling Up in August 2020. EFIF supported one of the key commitments in the 2018 Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper by supporting individuals to be able to meaningfully integrate and participate in society boosting English language proficiency. The programme trialled a new approach to funding ESOL, adopting a localised place-based design, providing community-based English language sessions, social mixing clubs and activities to individuals with little or no English.

In the same period, the Home Office funded the development of English language teaching resources to support refugees with their early integration.