Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to (a) maintain existing and (b) open new safe and legal routes to asylum in the UK.

While there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge, the UK has a long history of supporting people in need of protection. Our resettlement schemes have provided safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the UK.

Since 2015, we have resettled more than 25,000 refugees through safe and legal routes direct from regions of conflict and instability - around half of whom were children. The UK continues to welcome refugees through the global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Mandate Resettlement Scheme and Community Sponsorship Scheme. Additionally, as part of our response to the crisis in Afghanistan, the Government has announced the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) which will bring up to 20,000 people at risk fleeing Afghanistan to safety in the UK.

In addition to our resettlement schemes, we have provided safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people thorough our refugee family reunion route, Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) for those who heroically supported our armed forces in Afghanistan and the British National (Overseas) visa route for those affected by draconian laws restricting rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

The Government’s New Plan for Immigration will see us continue to provide safe and legal routes for those in fear of persecution and oppression in their home country.