Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to develop engagement forums with asylum seeker and refugee communities.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We regularly engage with stakeholders through standalone meetings and various forums such as the Asylum Strategic Engagement Group, which includes organisations who both speak for and represent asylum seekers.
The Asylum Lived Experience Advisory Panel (ALEAP) is a regular engagement forum, which enables refugees with recent lived experience of the UK asylum system an opportunity to discuss the impact of Home Office policies and processes across their asylum journey.
It is important that we distinguish between individuals who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Sumbul Rizvi, the UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh, regarding the security situation for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, in particular regarding any increases of serious protection incidents, including reports of killings, torture, abductions and sexual and gender-based violence; and to what extent they take such matters into account in determining the amount and nature of support they provide to Rohinya refugees there.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned at the increase in serious protection incidents in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. The UK regularly discusses protection and security challenges for Rohingya refugees with UNHCR, including what more can be done to try to address these issues through programme interventions, and how to support the Government of Bangladesh in their efforts to ensure security in the camps. UK programming is addressing protection issues in the camps, including helping UNICEF tackle child labour and child marriage, and supporting UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) in preventing and addressing gender-based violence. The UK also supports a consortium of International NGOs, led by Norwegian Refugee Council, to address the drivers and impact of protection incidents.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many visas have been issued to members of the Afghan Special Police Commando Force under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the noble Lord to the answers given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister for the Armed Forces (James Heappey), to Questions 11984 and 14769 tabled in the House of Commons by the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne and the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many Rohingya refugees are in Cox’s Bazar; what discussions they have had with the government of Bangladesh concerning (1) the protection of refugees in Cox's Bazar, and (2) future arrangements for their protection.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
According to the latest UN figures, there are 942,776 Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazaar. The UK is committed to improving the security of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and we regularly engage the Government of Bangladesh, UN and NGOs on protection issues. UK funding (over £373 million to the Rohingya response since 2017) includes ongoing support to protection services in the camps. We will continue to monitor the security situation in the camps and raise concerns with the UN and Government of Bangladesh.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the Government plans to resume funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the context of the interim investigation by the UN into allegations against UNRWA staff and the resumption of funding by other nations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are appalled by allegations that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned.
As we have set out, we are pressing the UN Office of Internal Oversight and Catherine Colonna, who is leading the independent Review Group appointed by the UN Secretary-General, to produce a rapid interim report. We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again. We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza.
Any future funding decisions will be taken after UNRWA's review has concluded.
Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the humanitarian situation in the Gambella region of Ethiopia following the migration of people from South Sudan to the area.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Ethiopia hosts nearly 1 million refugees of whom 43%, roughly 420,000 people, originate from South Sudan. The vast majority of South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia reside in seven camps in Gambella region. Refugees experience pressing humanitarian hardships in Gambella due to a combination of factors including recurrent flooding exacerbated by a shortage of donor funding. Between 2022 and 2023 aid agencies recorded a near doubling of cases of severe acute malnutrition among children under five years at Kule refugee camp. The UK is lobbying humanitarian agencies to ensure aid is prioritised effectively and reaches the most vulnerable.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the potential impact of the conflict in Sudan on regional security.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK supports an immediate end to hostilities, both for the sake of Sudan's people, and to avoid spillover into the wider region. We continue to emphasise to the international community the importance of neutrality and of supporting a ceasefire and political transition. Since 15 April, 1.8 million people have been displaced outside of Sudan, many fleeing to neighbouring countries. The UK recognises the significant pressure that the Sudan crisis is putting on neighbouring countries and commends them for the support they are providing. We are helping those fleeing to neighbouring countries as a result of the conflict, with £7.75 million to support existing and new Sudanese refugees as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities in South Sudan and £15 million to Chad.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with local councils in Greater Manchester on the potential availability of housing for refugees who have reached the end of their move-on period.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Since September 2023, all individuals receive a minimum of 28 days’ support (including accommodation) after having been issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). There are no current plans to extend the 28 days prescribed in legislation due to the huge pressures on the asylum system.
We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.
We work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures. Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.
We are working with our partners, including local authorities, to provide timely notification of key events that impact them. We are working with our Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) to facilitate regional sessions with councils and to share data.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers from Nicaragua have arrived in the UK in each year since 2018; and how many of those have been granted asylum so far.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ which is published on gov.uk. Data on asylum applications and initial decisions by nationality are published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2023.
Please note, the applications data in Asy_D01 relates to applications for asylum – not arrivals. Individuals must be in the country to apply for asylum; some will apply immediately upon arrival, but some may be in the country for a period of time before applying. Arrival information for refugees is not collected as part of the asylum application.
Please note that initial decisions in Asy_D02 are based on date of decision and do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period. For example, a decision in 2023 may relate to an application made in 2022.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with local councils in Greater Manchester on the potential availability of housing for refugees who have reached the end of their move-on period.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Ministers have discussions with local councils on a range of issues.