Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the UNHCR on the reunification of families in safe countries.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO engages systematically with partners, such as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and regularly discusses treatment of refugees, including family reunification. The UK actively promotes the implementation of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. We also provide a safe and legal route to bring families together through its family reunion policy. This allows individuals with protection status in the UK to sponsor their partner or children to stay with or join them here.
Written Evidence Apr. 15 2024
Committee: Public Accounts CommitteeFound: It calls on governments to proactively identify children at risk and reunite them with their families
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help promote the integration of immigrants.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into British life and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy.
Refugees, as well as individuals arriving through refugee resettlement schemes with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK, have access to the labour market and to mainstream benefits and services to enable their integration. We are working across Government to ensure these services meet the needs of refugees.
We recognise that the ability to speak English is key to helping refugees integrate into life in England, as well as to breaking down barriers to work and career progression. The Home Office works closely with other Government departments to ensure mainstream English language provision meets the needs of refugees.
Mar. 12 2024
Source Page: Physical and mental health support for people seeking asylumFound: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/asylum- seekers-a nd -refugees-h elp-a nd-advicePhysical and mental
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to people that host Afghan refugees in their homes.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. Our resettlement schemes have provided thousands of people the chance to start new lives in the UK.
As set out previously, the Department of Levelling UP, Housing and Communities is exploring a range of other accommodation options to support ACRS households, whilst recognising the specific needs of Afghan families.
Written Evidence Jan. 19 2024
Committee: Public Accounts CommitteeFound: Sanctuary Foundation, a charity which inspired over 29,000 people to pledge to welcome Ukrainian refugees
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to directly consult with (a) asylum seekers and (b) refugees to understand where more integration support may be required.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into life here and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy.
Refugees (those who have been granted asylum, humanitarian protection or temporary protection under the Immigration Rules), as well as individuals on our resettlement schemes with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK; have access to mainstream benefits and services to enable their integration; and we are working across Government to ensure these services meet the needs of refugees.
Integration support is coordinated by local authorities, who are best placed to support the needs of those resettled in their area. The Home Office provides local authorities with a core tariff of £20,520 per person to cover resettlement and integration costs for those who arrive via refugee resettlement schemes, including the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). This tariff can be used flexibly by the local authorities to meet the integration needs of the refugees they are supporting.
Nov. 09 2023
Source Page: Refugee integration - role of local authorities: key findings summaryFound: On top of this s ome families didn't want to move to certain areas, and finding homes for big families
Mentions:
1: Balfour, Jeremy (Con - Lothian) How will the wider dispersal of asylum seekers across Scotland impact on individuals and families when - Speech Link
2: None No advanced integration planning is taking place for those families in thinking through what happens - Speech Link
3: O'Kane, Paul (Lab - West Scotland) Graham, do you want to comment on local authorities’ capacity to support refugees? - Speech Link
4: None we paid for the flights of some families to arrive in the UK through our travel assistance programme - Speech Link