Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer of Lord Murray of Blidworth on 28 June (HL8499), why long delays are occurring for the delivery of BOTC (F) and BOTC (M) registration certificates to the British High Commissions located in the Caribbean region.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We aim to decide all straight-forward applications within the six-month service standard. After a decision is made, the certificate is securely sent to the overseas post via the diplomatic bag through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Delivery times can vary depending on when the next bag is dispatched, which ranges from weekly to fortnightly depending on the destination. These bags can be tracked by the Home Office if details of dispatch date and destination are provided to FCDO.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why many applicants on the BIOT (Chagossian) citizenship registration route must wait longer than the six-month target to receive approval notifications, ceremonies and certificates at the High Commission in Port Louis; why the first people who have been approved under the Chagossian route since March 2023 are past the 12-week wait for an invitation to attend their British Overseas Territory Citizenship and British Citizenship ceremony, including where their certificates have already been sent by post; and why it is not possible to track applications.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We aim to decide all straight-forward applications within the six-month service standard. After a decision is made, the certificate is securely sent to the overseas post via the diplomatic bag through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Delivery times can vary depending on when the next bag is dispatched, which ranges from weekly to fortnightly depending on the destination. These bags can be tracked by the Home Office if details of dispatch date and destination are provided to FCDO.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 28 June (HL8499), whether the forthcoming amendment to the British Nationality (Overseas Territories) Regulations 2007 will delay active UK-based BIOT (Chagossian) approved applicants from proceeding with their ceremonies in the UK; and if so, whether the right to waive on a case-by-case basis will be extended to the local authority registrars administering that part of the oath.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We do not anticipate that the forthcoming amendment to the British Nationality (Overseas Territories) Regulations 2007 will delay Chagossians in the UK from proceeding to attend their citizenship ceremony in the UK. The power to waive elements of a citizenship ceremony in the UK is exercised by the Home Office, on behalf of the Secretary of State, on a case by case basis. There are no plans to amend the British Nationality Act 1981 to allow local authority registrars to waive citizenship ceremony requirements.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to improve the passport application process for citizens of British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
His Majesty’s Passport Office provides passport services to British nationals across the globe. The vast majority of applicants from overseas can apply online in the same way as when applying from the UK.
HM Passport Office works continually to improve its services. For example, countries and Overseas Territories where applications are currently made in-person are kept under review to help identify opportunities that may enable applications to be made online in the future.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to encourage more students from Overseas Territories to study at UK universities.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Since 2007, persons who have settled status on arrival in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status.
Since 2022/23, the department has extended this offer so that those starting designated full time and part time undergraduate courses, are also now eligible for tuition fee loans in England if they meet the residency requirements. This requires that they have been ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories throughout the three year period preceding the first day of the first academic year of the course, with at least part of that period having been spent in the British Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many student visa applications her Department received from citizens of British Overseas Territories in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Our published data can be found in the available Migration Statistics on GOV.UK: Why do people come to the UK? To study - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to improve the student visa application process for students from British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
For students residing in the following British Overseas Territories local biometric enrolment services are available to enable customers to complete a UK visa application: the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and St Helena. Customers in the sovereign base areas of Akrotiri or Dhekelia are able to submit applications at the Visa Application Centre in Nicosia.
In view of the small volumes of customers in other British Overseas Territories it is not viable to operate a Visa Application Centre or temporary biometric enrolment service. Customers in these locations are advised to submit their application at the nearest or most convenient location where such a service if offered. Full details are set on our website: https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre
UKVI encourages all customers to apply in good time ahead of intended travel dates. Customers can also opt for one of our priority visa services, for an additional fee, where available in that location, which includes Cayman Islands and Nicosia South.
UKVI considers applications in line with published service standards, and this includes factors relating to logistics timescales for the customer receiving the vignette and their returned passport.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving priority to students from British Overseas Territories in the student visa application process.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
For students residing in the following British Overseas Territories local biometric enrolment services are available to enable customers to complete a UK visa application: the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and St Helena. Customers in the sovereign base areas of Akrotiri or Dhekelia are able to submit applications at the Visa Application Centre in Nicosia.
In view of the small volumes of customers in other British Overseas Territories it is not viable to operate a Visa Application Centre or temporary biometric enrolment service. Customers in these locations are advised to submit their application at the nearest or most convenient location where such a service if offered. Full details are set on our website: https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre
UKVI encourages all customers to apply in good time ahead of intended travel dates. Customers can also opt for one of our priority visa services, for an additional fee, where available in that location, which includes Cayman Islands and Nicosia South.
UKVI considers applications in line with published service standards, and this includes factors relating to logistics timescales for the customer receiving the vignette and their returned passport.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic assistance his Department is providing to the UK Overseas Territories in their engagement with the European Union.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We work in partnership with the British Overseas Territories to promote and safeguard their interests with international partners. We use our diplomatic resources and influence to support and facilitate their engagement with the European Union. For example, we support the Overseas Territory Governments to access EU markets and the opening of local offices in Brussels. The UK, working side-by-side with the Government of Gibraltar, remains committed to concluding a UK-EU treaty in respect of Gibraltar as soon as possible.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean with their preparations for the hurricane season.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK works closely with Overseas Territory Governments to ensure preparations are in place for hurricane season. We support crisis management training, critical infrastructure resilience, and the ongoing development of regiments that specialise in disaster relief. This year, the UK co-funded the development of the new British Virgin Islands Disaster Management app which will provide alerts and information to keep the public safe during hurricanes and other crisis events. Royal Navy ships - including HMS Dauntless currently - provide a persistent presence for the Caribbean Hurricane Season and offer humanitarian assistance and support the Overseas Territories to respond to major events.