Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the purpose of the changes made to (1) illegal entry, and (2) arriving without a required valid entry clearance or electronic travel authorisation, having made a dangerous journey, in the Nationality: good character requirement guidance.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
There are already rules that can prevent those arriving illegally from gaining citizenship.
On 10 February 2025, the Home Office strengthened measures to make it clear that anyone who enters the UK illegally or who arrives without a required valid entry clearance or electronic valid authorisation having made a dangerous journey, including small boat arrivals, now faces having a British citizenship application refused on the basis that they will not normally be considered to be of good character. This change means that:
However, each citizenship application will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Secretary of State may choose to apply discretion to grant citizenship on an exceptional basis where there are particularly exceptional, compelling, or mitigating circumstances.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 12 February (HL Deb col 1255), what estimate they have made of the number of refugees who have arrived by unauthorised routes who will (1) apply for citizenship, and (2) have their application for citizenship accepted on the basis that their circumstances are 'exceptional, compelling and mitigating'; and whether these data formed the basis of assumptions that informed the changes made to the Nationality: good character requirement guidance in February 2025.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
No such data is available, and no such estimates have been made.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the changes made to the Nationality: good character requirement guidance published in February are consistent with the practice of disregarding immigration breaches outside of a child's control.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
When assessing good character, it is normally appropriate to disregard immigration breaches if it is accepted this was outside of the applicant’s control. Given illegal entry is normally considered outside a child's control, most children would not be held accountable for their immigration breach. The 10 February 2025 amendments to the good character policy did not alter this position.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to receive the report about the use of age assessments from the Independent Chief Inspector or Borders and Immigration.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The ICIBI inspection on the Home Office’s use of age assessments began on 10 September 2024 and is still ongoing.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of granting refugees British citizenship on (1) integration, and (2) community cohesion.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the Immigration system under review.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to expand the eligibility criteria for family reunion for individuals in Sudan with family ties to the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We do not have any such plans. Existing rules for family reunion and details on how to apply:
If you were separated from your partner or child when you were forced to leave your country, they can apply to join you in the UK.
Your family members can apply if you have been given asylum or 5 years’ humanitarian protection, and not have British citizenship.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Scottish Guardianship Service for unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors, following the publication of the report An evaluation of the Scottish Guardianship Service in November 2021.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office takes our duty of care towards children and young people extremely seriously and we prioritise asylum applications from children and young people. We do not run the Scottish Guardianship Service and the evaluation is therefore for the Scottish government, but we welcome the support offered to unaccompanied asylum seeking children by the service.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the start of the move-on period for newly recognised refugees will be triggered by the issue of an eVisa which replaces the biometric residence permit; and how an individual will be able to access their eVisa if they are unable to open a UKVI account.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Currently, a newly recognised refugee gets 28 days to move on from asylum accommodation following the issue of their Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). The introduction of eVisas means that changes will need to be made to the move on process. We will provide further information on the initiation of the move on period before we stop issuing BRPs.
When the Home Office stops issuing Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) to newly recognised refugees without a previous BRP or valid passport, we will create a UKVI account and eVisa for them within 14 days of a positive decision on their Asylum claim being served. This action will be referenced in their decision letter.
We will inform the person that their UKVI account has been created and provide the necessary information for them to sign in. This communication will also include details on how to get support for accessing or reporting any issues with their eVisa.
Currently, people sign in to their UKVI account using a Document Number and Date of Birth. For those without a document, we will issue a new reference number, known as a UKVI Customer Number, which can be used alongside their Date of Birth to sign in and view their eVisa.
We acknowledge the existing challenges in delivering correspondence and BRP cards to newly recognised refugees. We are exploring the best ways to provide this information, including making increased efforts to capture contact details during the asylum process.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 2 September (HL141), what assessment they have made of the joint report by the APPGs on Poverty and on Migration, The Effects of the UK Immigration, Asylum and Refugee Policy on Poverty, published on 30 April.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly. Clearing the asylum backlog is our priority.
It is a financial necessity to start clearing the asylum backlog so that those costs do not continue to mount up at the expense of the taxpayer. The Home Secretary changed the law to remove the retrospective application of the Illegal Migration Act. This allows decision-makers to decide asylum claims from individuals who have arrived in the UK from 7 March 2023. Asylum interviews have commenced, and asylum claims are now being decided for individuals who arrived in the UK from 7 March 2023.
The Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to speed up and simplify decision making, reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the right to British citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981 is not confused or conflated with the powers and discretion delegated to the Home Secretary to manage the immigration system including naturalisation of adult migrants.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
In line with the duties introduced by the Equality Act 2010, the Home Office undertakes an equality impact assessment whenever decisions are taken on policy relating to registering statutory rights to British citizenship. Most recently, equality impact assessments were undertaken when changes were made to Section 3(1) British Nationality Act 1981 and on the introduction of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
There are various provisions within the British Nationality Act 1981 that allow for children born in the UK to register as British citizens. The Home Office has published clear and easy to follow guidance for applications under each of these sections. Home Office caseworkers are trained to carry out their duties to ensure that those who apply and meet the statutory requirements are granted citizenship.