Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people in the United Kingdom on overseas domestic worker visas have, since 2012, been granted a residence permit, including grants of discretionary leave to remain, following a positive conclusive grounds decision that they have been trafficked.
Answered by Lord Bates
A manual review of a significant number of applications would be needed in order to provide an accurate response and this would incur a disproportionate cost to the public purse. Therefore we are unable to confirm the number of individuals in the United Kingdom who have been issued residence permits following positive identification as a victim of Human Trafficking who held leave as a domestic worker since 2012.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether anyone entering the United Kingdom accompanying an employer on a Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa since 2009 has disclosed abuse perpetrated by their employer.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Home Office does not collect data on disclosures of abuse by applicants for, or those entering the United Kingdom on, domestic worker visas. However, disclosures of abuse perpetrated by employers do occur. Analysis of Home Office management information indicates that of the 1,623 trafficking cases which were confirmed between May 2009 and May 2015, 71 were linked to people who had previously been issued an overseas domestic worker visa. This includes the Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa and the Private Servants in a Diplomatic Household visa issued under the International Agreement category of Tier 5 of the Points Based System. The Government has asked James Ewins, an expert on modern slavery, to carry out an independent review of the overseas domestic worker visas, which will consider whether they are effective in protecting potential victims from abuse. Mr Ewins is due to report in July.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether anyone applying to enter the United Kingdom accompanying an employer on a Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa since 2009 has disclosed abuse perpetrated by their employer.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Home Office does not collect data on disclosures of abuse by applicants for, or those entering the United Kingdom on, domestic worker visas. However, disclosures of abuse perpetrated by employers do occur. Analysis of Home Office management information indicates that of the 1,623 trafficking cases which were confirmed between May 2009 and May 2015, 71 were linked to people who had previously been issued an overseas domestic worker visa. This includes the Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa and the Private Servants in a Diplomatic Household visa issued under the International Agreement category of Tier 5 of the Points Based System. The Government has asked James Ewins, an expert on modern slavery, to carry out an independent review of the overseas domestic worker visas, which will consider whether they are effective in protecting potential victims from abuse. Mr Ewins is due to report in July.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to ensure that girls at risk of being taken abroad for the purpose of forced marriage are identified and assessed by professionals.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK is a world leader in tackling forced marriage, and the Government is committed to ensuring that girls are not taken abroad for the purposes of forced marriage. That is why, during the previous Parliament, the Home Secretary made forced marriage a criminal offence, which included taking extra-territorial jurisdiction for forced marriage offences.
We recognise that strengthening the law is only part of the solution. The Government’s Forced Marriage Unit is leading efforts to combat this unacceptable activity both at home and abroad. Measures include providing support and advice to professionals and victims through a public helpline, with the Unit assisting in 1,267 cases in 2014. We are providing further direct support to professionals, including schools and the Crown Prosecution Service, through an extensive outreach and training programme and the publication of statutory multi-agency guidance in July 2014.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that girls are not taken abroad for the purposes of forced marriage.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK is a world leader in tackling forced marriage, and the Government is committed to ensuring that girls are not taken abroad for the purposes of forced marriage. That is why, during the previous Parliament, the Home Secretary made forced marriage a criminal offence, which included taking extra-territorial jurisdiction for forced marriage offences.
We recognise that strengthening the law is only part of the solution. The Government’s Forced Marriage Unit is leading efforts to combat this unacceptable activity both at home and abroad. Measures include providing support and advice to professionals and victims through a public helpline, with the Unit assisting in 1,267 cases in 2014. We are providing further direct support to professionals, including schools and the Crown Prosecution Service, through an extensive outreach and training programme and the publication of statutory multi-agency guidance in July 2014.