Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider extending the period during which pregnant asylum seekers cannot be moved before their due date from six to 12 weeks.

Asylum seekers who are destitute and have an immediate need for accommodation can apply to be admitted to an initial accommodation centre. In normal circumstances, they remain in the centre for only such time as it takes to arrange longer term “dispersal” accommodation.

If, however, the asylum seeker is heavily pregnant the move to the dispersal accommodation is usually deferred until around 6 weeks after the birth of the child or until the clinician has signed off the postnatal checks.

There are no plans to change these arrangements.