Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent Refugee Council report Keys to the City 2024: ending refugee homelessness in London and its finding that in the two years to September 2023, there was a 239 per cent increase in refugees requiring homelessness support from local authorities after being evicted from Home Office asylum accommodation.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We recognise the number of individuals moving on from the asylum support system is placing pressure on local authorities. The Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are working closely on this and have been regularly engaging with local authorities to ensure they are supported. There are a number of improvements in train to ensure local authorities receive early notification of those leaving Home Office asylum accommodation to enable effective planning.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions he has had with (a) the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and (b) United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on (i) getting aid into and (ii) the distribution of aid within Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are working to get aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air, working with multiple implementing partners including various UN agencies and international and UK NGOs. UK funding has supported the work of partners including the British Red Cross, World Food Programme, UNICEF and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) to deliver vital supplies.
The Foreign Secretary has also appointed a Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza. He maintains regular contact with the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 6083 on Afghanistan: Refugees, how many (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme eligible Afghan nationals classed as (i) principals and (ii) dependents are in Pakistan as of 2 May 2024.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of 2 May, the number of eligible persons in Pakistan who qualified via Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy were 127 principals and 486 dependents and the number of individuals who qualified via Afghanistan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 3 were 39 principals and 166 dependents.
The government looks forward to bringing all remaining eligible individuals to the UK as soon as practicable. Since Operation Pitting we have welcomed 8,892 Afghans eligible under ARAP, and 2020 Afghans eligible under ACRS, to the UK.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his department is taking to help reopen the Adre crossing in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We condemn in the strongest terms the decision of the Sudanese Armed Forces to close the crossing point at Adré to humanitarian supplies, which is putting at risk the lives of even more people in Darfur. The UK is doing all we can to press for this further serious restriction on humanitarian access to be urgently lifted. On 27 February, we called for the UN Security Council to convene for a closed consultation in response to this. On 20 March, the Security Council heard a briefing on OCHA's White Note, at which the UK underlined OCHA's warning that obstruction of humanitarian access by the SAF and RSF is resulting in people in Sudan starving. Using starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited by international humanitarian law. In March, I visited the Chad/Sudan border and met with some of the 700,000 refugees who have fled conflict and hunger. I reaffirmed the UK's commitment to the people of Sudan and announced a near doubling of UK ODA to Sudan for this year, increasing to £89 million.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make it his Department's policy to ensure that all Ukrainian organisations in receipt of overseas development assistance train all staff to be able to identify indicators of (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government is committed to eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking. In Ukraine, as well as other countries currently hosting millions of refugees from Ukraine, we are working closely with delivery partners to protect the most vulnerable from the risks of modern slavery. The UK has committed £357 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region since the start of the invasion, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls. We are providing life-saving assistance, including targeted gender-based violence services, legal support and crisis accommodation to help tackle safeguarding concerns and trafficking risks.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how much and what proportion of overseas development assistance for Ukraine has been allocated to helping Ukraine to develop specialist capabilities to prevent (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government is committed to eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking. In Ukraine, as well as other countries currently hosting millions of refugees from Ukraine, we are working closely with delivery partners to protect the most vulnerable from the risks of modern slavery. The UK has committed £357 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region since the start of the invasion, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls. We are providing life-saving assistance, including targeted gender-based violence services, legal support and crisis accommodation to help tackle safeguarding concerns and trafficking risks.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Overseas Development Assistance for Ukraine in (a) identifying and (b) safeguarding the most vulnerable people from modern slavery and human trafficking.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government is committed to eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking. In Ukraine, as well as other countries currently hosting millions of refugees from Ukraine, we are working closely with delivery partners to protect the most vulnerable from the risks of modern slavery. The UK has committed £357 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region since the start of the invasion, with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls. We are providing life-saving assistance, including targeted gender-based violence services, legal support and crisis accommodation to help tackle safeguarding concerns and trafficking risks.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 1 February 2024 on Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) Scheme Update, HCWS233, whether his Department has completed the reassessments of eligibility decisions made on ineligible ARAP applications with credible links to (a) Commando Force 333 and (b) Afghan Territorial Force 444.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The reassessment of applications from those with credible links to former Afghan specialist units began on 26 March and will take approximately 12 weeks to complete, although some complex cases might extend beyond this as we ensure all evidence is considered. I can confirm that overturned decisions have already begun to be communicated to applicants.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what culturally appropriate oral and written professional translation services are provided by his Department when communicating with (a) applicants for asylum, (b) people in immigration detention, (c) people appealing application decisions and (d) people identified for deportation to Rwanda.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The Home Office aims to provide interpreter and translation services for refugees and asylum seekers at public expense whenever and wherever necessary. Interpreters are engaged by the Home Office to act on its behalf. They are not Home Office employees and undertake freelance work commissioned by the Home Office. In some circumstances interpreting services are provided by commercial partners.
Interpreters/translators engaged are required to operate to a high standard on a range of protection-based and human rights topics including (though not limited to) religious conversion, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), sexuality and gender-based claims, all types and forms of persecution, medical (physical and mental health) and political activity.
The Home Office also works with other commercial providers and public sector bodies which provide interpreters and linguists to ensure the best sector-wide standards are applied.
Guidance on the use of interpretation and translation services, Detention Services Order ‘Interpretation Services and use of Translation Devices’, was published in July 2022. This guidance sets out the provisions, including interpretation services and translation devices, available for individuals held in immigration detention and the circumstances in which these should be used.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department has issued on the provision of culturally appropriate oral and written professional translation when communicating with (a) applicants for asylum, (b) people in immigration detention, (c) people appealing application decisions and (d) people identified for deportation to Rwanda.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The Home Office aims to provide interpreter and translation services for refugees and asylum seekers at public expense whenever and wherever necessary. Interpreters are engaged by the Home Office to act on its behalf. They are not Home Office employees and undertake freelance work commissioned by the Home Office. In some circumstances interpreting services are provided by commercial partners.
Interpreters/translators engaged are required to operate to a high standard on a range of protection-based and human rights topics including (though not limited to) religious conversion, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), sexuality and gender-based claims, all types and forms of persecution, medical (physical and mental health) and political activity.
The Home Office also works with other commercial providers and public sector bodies which provide interpreters and linguists to ensure the best sector-wide standards are applied.
Guidance on the use of interpretation and translation services, Detention Services Order ‘Interpretation Services and use of Translation Devices’, was published in July 2022. This guidance sets out the provisions, including interpretation services and translation devices, available for individuals held in immigration detention and the circumstances in which these should be used.