Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of integrating asylum applicants in local communities while those people are waiting for their application to be processed.

The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it and this Government is committed to ensuring refugees can take positive steps towards integration as they rebuild their lives in the UK. However, as not all of those who seek asylum are found to need international protection, we are not considering the merits of integrating asylum applicants in local communities whilst they wait for their application to be processed. Rather than invest in integration for those who may not qualify, this Government’s priority is to focus our efforts and resources to support those who most need it.