Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect the mental health of vulnerable asylum seekers.

Asylum seekers have full access to the NHS upon arrival in the UK.

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.

The Government is planning to provide an additional £2.3 billion a year for mental health services by 2023/24, the largest increase in mental health funding in NHS history.