Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish details on the (a) level of financial and (b) other incentives his Department plans to offer to asylum seekers to encourage them to voluntarily relocate to Rwanda.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Voluntary relocation to Rwanda builds on our already widely used voluntary returns scheme – details of this can be found at the following link:- Voluntary and assisted departures.docx (publishing.service.gov.uk).
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the agreement with Rwanda to host individuals relocated from the UK under the voluntary departures scheme was made; how many individuals can be relocated under that scheme; and if he will publish a Memorandum of Understanding relating to the scheme.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The option of voluntary relocation will be given to failed asylum seekers. It would be inappropriate to provide a running commentary on individual cases or numbers.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed for the voluntary relocation of individuals and will be published in due course.
People who voluntarily decide to relocate to Rwanda, if they are relocated, will be entitled to permanent residence in Rwanda.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what form of immigration status people relocated to Rwanda under the voluntary departures scheme will receive once in Rwanda; and whether that status will be (a) permanent or (b) time-limited.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The option of voluntary relocation will be given to failed asylum seekers. It would be inappropriate to provide a running commentary on individual cases or numbers.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed for the voluntary relocation of individuals and will be published in due course.
People who voluntarily decide to relocate to Rwanda, if they are relocated, will be entitled to permanent residence in Rwanda.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguards his Department has put in place to ensure that people with a rejected asylum application being offered voluntary relocation to Rwanda are giving informed consent.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The option of voluntary relocation will be given to failed asylum seekers. If they wish to relocate, it is only right that we facilitate that in order to save taxpayers’ money and pressures on our public services.
Regarding the voluntary relocation of individuals to Rwanda, it would be inappropriate to provide a running commentary on individual cases.
If a person expresses an interest in the voluntary relocation, we are supporting people in ensuring that they have all the information they need in order to make a decision.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with rejected asylum applications have been approached regarding voluntarily relocation to Rwanda as of 13 March 2024.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The option of voluntary relocation will be given to failed asylum seekers. If they wish to relocate, it is only right that we facilitate that in order to save taxpayers’ money and pressures on our public services.
Regarding the voluntary relocation of individuals to Rwanda, it would be inappropriate to provide a running commentary on individual cases.
If a person expresses an interest in the voluntary relocation, we are supporting people in ensuring that they have all the information they need in order to make a decision.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria his Department plans to use for selecting people with rejected asylum applications for proposed voluntary relocation to Rwanda.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The option of voluntary relocation will be given to failed asylum seekers. If they wish to relocate, it is only right that we facilitate that in order to save taxpayers’ money and pressures on our public services.
Regarding the voluntary relocation of individuals to Rwanda, it would be inappropriate to provide a running commentary on individual cases.
If a person expresses an interest in the voluntary relocation, we are supporting people in ensuring that they have all the information they need in order to make a decision.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department distinguishes between (a) relocation agents, (b) estate agents and (c) property agents within the housing sector, in the context of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The existing measures in this Bill will apply principally to managing agents acting on behalf of their landlord or estate manager, but measures relating to the ban on new leasehold houses will also apply to those involved in marketing a property, including estate agents.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of applications received under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy which have not been approved (a) are awaiting consideration and (b) have been declined.
Answered by James Heappey
As of 28 February 2024, 90,695 applicants have been deemed ineligible under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, and 2,151 applicants are awaiting an eligibility decision.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people in (a) Iran, (b) Pakistan and (c) other third countries eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy are still awaiting relocation.
Answered by James Heappey
As of 28 February 2024, there are 1,254 ARAP eligible applicants (EPs) in Pakistan and 1,037 EPs in other third countries who are awaiting relocation to the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the Renters (Reform) Bill on relocation agents.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Renters (Reform) Bill will deliver a fairer, more secure, and higher quality private rented sector that is fit for the 21st century. The Impact Assessment for the Bill considers the impact on letting agents (which includes relocation agents).
It estimates that as a result of familiarisation costs and more stable private rented sector tenancies, letting agents will face costs of £1,085 per agent per year over the ten-year appraisal period. The reforms may also create new opportunities for letting agents, such as services which support landlords to meet their new requirements.