Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to guidelines on Streamlined asylum processing published on 23 February 2023, what steps her Department took to inform the offices of hon. Members of plans to require current asylum claimants to complete an Asylum Claim Questionnaire within 20 working days or potentially have their claim treated as withdrawn; for what reason her Department did not directly contact the offices of all hon. Members in advance of the announcement of those requirements; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of those requirements on the ability of asylum claimants to receive appropriate and timely support from their local Member of Parliament.

Extension requests to complete the questionnaire can be submitted and all relevant circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis when deciding whether someone’s asylum claim should be withdrawn.