Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Afghan Pro Bono Initiative, in their report Still Waiting: the Afghans Abandoned by the UK, published in August, regarding the delays and decision-making processes for resettlement schemes for refugees from Afghanistan.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are determined to honour our commitments to bring eligible Afghans to the UK. The UK has made an ambitious commitment to help at-risk people in Afghanistan and, so far, we have brought around 32,600 people to safety, including thousands of people eligible for our Afghan resettlement schemes.
Our priority right now is the relocation of those identified as eligible for resettlement under our resettlement schemes, and fixing the gaps in existing routes. That is why we affirmed our ongoing commitment to Afghans and their families by launching the ACRS Separated Families route, which provides a pathway to reunite those families who were unintentionally separated during Operation Pitting.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce a policy that, where police officers have been dismissed for gross misconduct, consideration will be given as to whether their police pension should be forfeited.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
A police officer’s pension can only be forfeited by a local policing body in certain circumstances, where they have been convicted of a criminal offence committed in connection with their service. This is not unique to policing and exists in other public sector pension schemes.
The Government has no plans to amend this policy.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle violence against women and girls; and in particular, what steps they are taking in response to the goals of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls campaign.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a government priority. VAWG is an unacceptable, preventable issue which blights the lives of millions.
We have made significant progress since we published the Tackling VAWG Strategy in July 2021 and the complementary Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan in March 2022, including action to tackle the causes of these crimes. We have supported the introduction of a new full-time National Policing Lead for VAWG, DCC Maggie Blyth, to help strengthen the police response as well as ratifying the Istanbul Convention on 21 July 2022, demonstrating to women in the UK and to our partners overseas our commitment to tackling VAWG.
One of the primary goals of The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is to educate people about gender equality and VAWG crimes. We have launched our national communications campaign, ‘Enough’, to challenge the harmful behaviours that exist within wider society, educate young people about healthy relationships and consent, and ensure victims can recognise abuse and receive support. Phase two of the campaign started on 25 October. Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) is also now a statutory part of the curriculum to educate children about the importance of respectful relationships, as well as issues such as domestic abuse and sexual consent.
The government has announced we will add VAWG to the Strategic Policing Requirement meaning it will be set out as a national threat for forces to respond to alongside other threats such as terrorism, serious and organised crime and child sexual abuse. We have also allocated £55 million to communities through the Safer Streets Fund and Safety of Women at Night Fund, including for extra CCTV, streetlighting and work to change attitudes and work to preventing VAWG in public spaces at night.
We have committed, by 2025, to have invested £75 million into perpetrator projects, research and interventions. This includes interventions like the Drive Project which targets high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators. It has reduced physical abuse by 82%, and jealous and controlling behaviours by 73%. And, we have doubled our funding for the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and will make it easier for more victims of domestic abuse to come forward by trialling the Ask for ANI codeword scheme in Jobcentre Plus Offices. The scheme currently operates in half of UK pharmacies and since 2021 there have been over 130 cases where pharmacists helped victims access support.
Through these actions we want to reduce the prevalence of VAWG crimes, whilst giving victims and survivors high-quality support to realise better outcomes.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why Ukrainian refugees are able to have their visa biometrics taken upon entry to the UK but Afghan refugees are not; and what steps they are taking to relax this rule for refugees from Afghanistan.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Biometrics, in the form of a facial image and fingerprints, underpin the UK’s immigration system to support identity assurance and suitability checks on foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control. They enable us to conduct comprehensive checks to prevent leave being granted to those who pose a threat to national security or are likely to breach our laws. Our approach in terms of both Afghanistan and Ukraine is based on advice relating to national security we have received.
Eligible Ukrainians with valid international Ukrainian passports who apply to the Ukraine Family Scheme, or the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, do not currently need to go to a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to give their biometrics before they come to the UK.
Vital security checks will continue on all cases. This decision was made exceptionally as a temporary arrangement to ensure VACs across Europe could focus their efforts on helping Ukrainians without valid passports. It will be kept under review if the security situation changes and it becomes necessary to make further changes to protect the people of the UK.
We remain committed to supporting Afghan nationals through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme to come to the UK, as set out in the Afghanistan resettlement and immigration policy statement published on 13 September 2021. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) notice, and (2) information, is being given to Afghan refugees and their relatives when a family is moved to another address.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The UK Government undertook the biggest and fastest emergency evacuation in recent history, helping over 15,000 people to safety from Afghanistan. Due to the scale and pace of the evacuation we have had to use hotels as a temporary measure.
We do not want to keep people in temporary accommodation for any longer than is absolutely necessary. We have moved – or are in the process of moving - over 6,000 people into homes since June 2021. There is a huge effort underway to support the families into permanent homes as soon as we can so they can settle and rebuild their lives, and to ensure those still temporarily accommodated in hotels are given the best start to their life in the UK.
The length of time that a family will remain in bridging hotels is dependent on a number of factors including the availability of appropriate housing. We are working at pace across government and with over three hundred Local Authority partners to allocate the right families into the right accommodation to ensure that their integration into their new communities in the UK is as smooth as possible.
Families are given seven days’ notice of their move to settled accommodation. During this time, they can prepare for their move and discuss any concerns with their Home Office Liaison Officer. They are provided with the contact details of their new local authority, so that they can talk to the people who will be supporting them with their move and providing them with long term assistance with integration.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when Afghan refugees who have been placed in unsuitable accommodation in hotels will be rehoused and properly settled in the UK.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The UK Government undertook the biggest and fastest emergency evacuation in recent history, helping over 15,000 people to safety from Afghanistan. Due to the scale and pace of the evacuation we have had to use hotels as a temporary measure.
We do not want to keep people in temporary accommodation for any longer than is absolutely necessary. We have moved – or are in the process of moving - over 6,000 people into homes since June 2021. There is a huge effort underway to support the families into permanent homes as soon as we can so they can settle and rebuild their lives, and to ensure those still temporarily accommodated in hotels are given the best start to their life in the UK.
The length of time that a family will remain in bridging hotels is dependent on a number of factors including the availability of appropriate housing. We are working at pace across government and with over three hundred Local Authority partners to allocate the right families into the right accommodation to ensure that their integration into their new communities in the UK is as smooth as possible.
Families are given seven days’ notice of their move to settled accommodation. During this time, they can prepare for their move and discuss any concerns with their Home Office Liaison Officer. They are provided with the contact details of their new local authority, so that they can talk to the people who will be supporting them with their move and providing them with long term assistance with integration.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will grant refugee status to Afghans who have fled the Taliban and are seeking refuge in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual facts and merits in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Those who need protection are normally granted five years’ limited leave, have full access to the labour market and mainstream benefits, and can apply for settlement after five years.
Our country policy and information notes contain an assessment of risk and makes it clear that each case will be considered on its own merits and that no one who is at real risk of persecution or serious harm in Afghanistan will be expected to return there. The country policy guidance for Afghanistan is available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many non-UK EU nationals are working on (1) passport checks, (2) e-passport gates, (3) immigration control, (4) customs checks, and (5) other UK border control checks, at each of the London airports of (a) Heathrow, (b) Stansted, (c) Gatwick, (d) City, and (e) Luton; and what is the breakdown of staff in each category, and at each airport, in terms of (i) full-time staff, (ii) part-time staff, and (iii) agency staff.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Home Office undertakes checks to confirm that potential candidates meet the eligibility requirements to work in the UK.
I am sorry but the Home Office does not record the nationality of employees on our IT systems and is unable to provide this information.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many non-UK EU nationals are employed by Border Force in total, either directly or through agencies, at all UK air and sea ports; and what proportion this represents of the total number of employees and agency staff.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Home Office undertakes checks to confirm that potential candidates meet the eligibility requirements to work in the UK.
I am sorry but the Home Office does not record the nationality of employees on our IT systems and is unable to provide this information.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have ever considered using drones to monitor Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit border with the Republic of Ireland and the European Union; whether they have any plans to do so; and if not, whether they intend explicitly to rule it out.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangement pre-dates the EU and leaders in Ireland and the United Kingdom, including the Northern Ireland Executive have been unequivocal - all want to protect this arrangement.
To date the use of drones has not been considered as a method of monitoring the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland post-Brexit. Indeed regulation in the UK does not permit the use of drones beyond line of sight . Discussions between the Taoiseach and the Prime Minister have underlined their desire to work together to find a creative and innovative solution and to maintain the closest possible relationship following the UK’s exit from the EU.
We will continue the high level of collaboration with Ireland on the future of the CTA once the UK has left the EU, avoiding the imposition of fixed immigration controls and being clear that there will be no immediate changes to our practices surrounding the CTA.