Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's strategy on Open Societies, Democracy and Human Rights.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO acknowledges the commitment made in the International Development White Paper to publish an Open Societies and Human Rights Strategy. The Strategy is in draft, and it will be published in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue with the Colombia–UK Bilateral Investment Treaty after October 2024; and, if it is continued, what plans they have to increase protections for (1) human rights, and (2) the environment.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I regularly raise human rights issues, as well as specific cases of concern with the Colombian Government. The UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty plays an important role in supporting the investment relationship between the UK and Colombia by protecting investors from arbitrary, discriminatory, and unfair treatment, as well as expropriation without adequate compensation. The UK is content with the standard of protection that it currently provides to investors of both the UK and Colombia. Colombia is a Human Rights Priority Country for the British Government and we actively engage with civil society through regular channels regarding our human rights concerns.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the high number of Investor-State Dispute Settlement cases against Columbia; and the impact of these cases on (1) the implementation of the Columbian Peace Accord, (2) the UK's role as penholder at the UN Security Council, and (3) human rights and the environment in Columbia.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I regularly raise human rights issues, as well as specific cases of concern with the Colombian Government. The UK Government cannot comment on legal disputes arising from Bilateral Investment Treaties where it is not a party to the dispute. Resolution of any such disputes is a matter for the Government of Colombia and the investors concerned. Colombia is a Human Rights Priority Country for the British Government and we actively engage with civil society through regular channels regarding our human rights concerns.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 24 January (HL1408 and HL1409), how many visas for relocation to the United Kingdom have been issued since 8 November 2023 to Afghans eligible under (1) the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, and (2) the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The UK has made an ambitious and generous commitment to help at-risk people in Afghanistan and, so far, we have brought around 24,600 people to safety, including thousands of people eligible for our Afghan schemes. We continue to honour our commitments to bring eligible Afghans to the UK.
The data published within the immigration system statistics release (month ending September 2023, published 23 November 2023) provides a breakdown of arrivals by quarter. The number of individuals resettled under the schemes is as follows: 11,684 individuals under ARAP, 9,699 individuals under ACRS Pathway 1, 70 individuals under ACRS Pathway 2 and 70 individuals under ACRS Pathway 3.
Afghan operational data is viewable on Gov.UK.
Afghan operational data is released quarterly with the next publication due around the 22 February 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 18 December 2023 (HL Deb col 2048), on what date they announced that housing in the UK need not be secured before a visa for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy or Afghan citizens resettlement scheme can be issued.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
On 8 November 2023, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs gave an oral statement to the House of Commons stating that those eligible under ACRS and ARAP no longer needed to be matched to suitable accommodation prior to their arrival.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether visas for relocation to the UK under (1) the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, and (2) the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme, include a date of issue.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Vignettes that are issued under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) include a date of issue.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the new immigration salary thresholds announced by the Home Secretary on 4 December will apply to language assistants in schools and universities.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Once the Immigration Rules have been laid in Spring 2024, only those occupations on the Health and Care Visa and on education national payscales will be exempt.
Until then, the current salary thresholds remain in place at the current levels. Those already in the Skilled work route, and applications made before the rules change, will not be subject to the new £38,700 salary threshold when they change employment, extend, or settle.
Full details of transitional provisions will be set out when further policy details will be announced.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Home Secretary on 7 December announcing the changes to travel document requirements for school groups visiting the UK from France (HCWS106), whether they will extend those changes to school groups visiting the UK from Spain and Germany.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
At the Leaders’ Summit in Paris on 10 March 2023, as part of an overall agreement on migration reached with France, the UK committed to ease the travel of school groups to the UK by making changes to documentary requirements for schoolchildren on organised trips from France. The agreement we have is specific to France.
We would consider negotiating with other countries should they approach us with an interest in making similar arrangements.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will reassess unsuccessful applications for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy from individual members of the Afghan Territorial Force 444 and Commando Force 333 in the light of continued evidence of vulnerability to violent reprisals from the Taliban against them and their families.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
All unsuccessful ARAP applicants, including those made by former members of the Afghan Armed Forces such as Afghan Territorial Force 444 and Commando Force 333, have the right to request a review within 90 days of receipt of their outcome letter.
We continue to prioritise finding remaining eligible applicants and relocating them as quickly as we can. As of 28 November 2023, we have relocated 13,300 individuals and family members since the scheme began.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of the Afghan Territorial Force 444 and Commando Force 333 have (1) qualified for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, and (2) been told they are ineligible under that policy.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As of 28 November, we have relocated 13,300 ARAP Eligible Principals (EPs) and their family members to safety in the UK under the ARAP scheme and have approximately 6,000 eligible persons and family members remaining to relocate to the UK. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of these figures by job role or specific unit.
Not all former members of the Afghan Armed Forces, including specific units such as Afghan Territorial Force 444 and Commando Force 333, will automatically be eligible for ARAP. Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis on its own merits and in line with published policy. We are prioritising finding remaining eligible applicants and relocating them as quickly as we can.