Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many visa applications they (1) received from, and (2) approved for, Palestinians from the Israeli Occupied Palestinian Territories in (a) 2023, (b) 2024, and (c) 2025; and what percentage of these were from and for Palestinian Christians.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, by nationality, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release]. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’[https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#entry-clearance-visas-granted-outside-the-uk]. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.
The Home Office does not routinely collect information on the religion of visa holders; therefore, it is not possible to identify how many applications or approvals were specifically from Christians.
Figures for visa applications for Jordanian and Occupied Palestinian Territories nationals can be seen in the table below. Please note that an outcome of a visa application may relate to an application raised in a previous year.
Jordan | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (Jan - Jun) |
Applications | 16,837 | 9,196 | 9,068 |
Grants | 15,713 | 7,981 | 7,253 |
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|
| |
Occupied Palestinian Territories | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (Jan - Jun) |
Applications | 4,275 | 4,607 | 2,277 |
Grants | 3,015 | 2,881 | 1,338 |
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many visa applications they (1) received from, and (2) approved for, Jordanian nationals in (a) 2023, (b) 2024, and (c) 2025; and what percentage of these were from and for Jordanian Christians.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas, by nationality, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release]. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance visas dataset’[https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#entry-clearance-visas-granted-outside-the-uk]. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of June 2025.
The Home Office does not routinely collect information on the religion of visa holders; therefore, it is not possible to identify how many applications or approvals were specifically from Christians.
Figures for visa applications for Jordanian and Occupied Palestinian Territories nationals can be seen in the table below. Please note that an outcome of a visa application may relate to an application raised in a previous year.
Jordan | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (Jan - Jun) |
Applications | 16,837 | 9,196 | 9,068 |
Grants | 15,713 | 7,981 | 7,253 |
|
|
| |
Occupied Palestinian Territories | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (Jan - Jun) |
Applications | 4,275 | 4,607 | 2,277 |
Grants | 3,015 | 2,881 | 1,338 |
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what protections are in place to ensure that migrant victims of domestic abuse can safely report abuse to the police, without fear of immigration enforcement action.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
A Migrant Victims Protocol is being established. This will provide an assurance to individuals that no immigration enforcement action will be taken whilst criminal justice proceedings concerning allegations of domestic violence are ongoing and/or whilst support to make applications to regularise their stay is being sought.
Representatives of the domestic abuse sector have rejected the proposal of the protocol and opted not to engage further with the Home Office on its development.
Representatives of the domestic abuse sector have received regular updates on the development of the protocol through Home Office chaired stakeholder groups. The Home Office has engaged with police and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner on an initial draft of the Code of Practice prior to consultation as required by Section 82 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Feedback provided by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, as a representative of the domestic abuse sector, is being reviewed as the Code is developed. Consultation will take place before any Code of Practice is laid before Parliament for approval as required by the Act and will commence later this year.
The Protocol will be finalised and communicated later this year.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult representatives of the domestic abuse sector on (1) the development of the protocol, and (2) code of practice on data sharing, for migrant victims of crime.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
A Migrant Victims Protocol is being established. This will provide an assurance to individuals that no immigration enforcement action will be taken whilst criminal justice proceedings concerning allegations of domestic violence are ongoing and/or whilst support to make applications to regularise their stay is being sought.
Representatives of the domestic abuse sector have rejected the proposal of the protocol and opted not to engage further with the Home Office on its development.
Representatives of the domestic abuse sector have received regular updates on the development of the protocol through Home Office chaired stakeholder groups. The Home Office has engaged with police and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner on an initial draft of the Code of Practice prior to consultation as required by Section 82 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Feedback provided by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, as a representative of the domestic abuse sector, is being reviewed as the Code is developed. Consultation will take place before any Code of Practice is laid before Parliament for approval as required by the Act and will commence later this year.
The Protocol will be finalised and communicated later this year.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the evaluation of the Support for Migrant Victims pilot scheme.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
In 2021 the Government awarded the charity Southall Black Sisters £1.4 million to run the Support for Migrant Victims (SMV) Scheme pilot. This was following the Government’s review (in 2020) of its response to migrant victims who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF). This funding has now been extended until March 2025.
The independent evaluation of the SMV Scheme considered the implementation and delivery of the pilot, the experiences and outcomes for those who accessed it, and how the pilot sat alongside existing support for migrant victims of domestic abuse. A total of 425 victims were supported during the pilot.
When we have carefully considered the findings, we will publish the evaluation in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment has been made of the recommendations in the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s second report into migrant survivors, Safety before status: the solutions, published on 13 December 2022.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Tackling violence against women and girls is a government priority. We are committed to supporting victims of abuse, regardless of their immigration status.
The Home Office is grateful to the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for publishing the ‘Safety Before Status: The Solutions’ report and to the Commissioner’s team and external partners for researching the vital issue of support for migrant victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
We will continue to engage with the Commissioner’s office on recommendations set out in the report, and across government. We have already begun to take forward work that stems from some of the recommendations.
We are giving detailed consideration to the findings of this research in conjunction with the external evaluation of the Home Office funded Support for Migrant Victims Scheme pilot (SMV) and considering the wider policies affecting migrant victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Our official response will be published as soon as is practicable. In the meantime, we continue to provide £1.4 million per annum to fund support for all migrant victims of domestic abuse.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish their response to the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s report Safety before status: the solutions, which was due in February.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Tackling violence against women and girls is a government priority. We are committed to supporting victims of abuse, regardless of their immigration status.
The Home Office is grateful to the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for publishing the ‘Safety Before Status: The Solutions’ report and to the Commissioner’s team and external partners for researching the vital issue of support for migrant victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
We will continue to engage with the Commissioner’s office on recommendations set out in the report, and across government. We have already begun to take forward work that stems from some of the recommendations.
We are giving detailed consideration to the findings of this research in conjunction with the external evaluation of the Home Office funded Support for Migrant Victims Scheme pilot (SMV) and considering the wider policies affecting migrant victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Our official response will be published as soon as is practicable. In the meantime, we continue to provide £1.4 million per annum to fund support for all migrant victims of domestic abuse.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support is available for those on a student or visitor visa who become subject to domestic abuse whilst residing in England.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Tackling domestic abuse is a key priority for this Government. Information on support for victims can be found on the Domestic abuse: how to get help page on GOV.UK, or through Government’s 'Enough' campaign.
Those on a student or visitor visa who become subject to domestic abuse whilst residing in England, can also seek support from the Support for Migrant Victims (SMV) scheme. The SMV scheme was launched as a 12-month pilot in March 2021, run by Southall Black Sisters and their delivery partners, and supported with £1.5 million of Government funding. It provides support and wraparound services to migrant victims of domestic abuse. This support includes: accommodation, subsistence, legal advice and counselling.
Local authorities may also provide basic safety net support to migrant victims if a genuine care need is established that does not arise solely from destitution. Examples can include, where there are community care needs, migrants with serious health problems or family cases where the wellbeing of a child is in question.
Evidence from the independent evaluation of the SMV pilot, to be produced in a final report in early 2023, will inform future policy decisions surrounding our support for migrant victims of domestic abuse. Whilst we consider the evaluation findings and the lessons learned for future policy decisions, we will provide £1.4 million in 2022-23 to continue to fund support for all migrant victims of domestic abuse.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, (1) to extend the destitution domestic violence concession (DDVC) to six months, and (2) to widen the eligibility to all migrant survivors of domestic abuse.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Tackling domestic abuse is a key priority for this Government. Information on support for victims can be found on the Domestic abuse: how to get help page on GOV.UK, or through Government’s 'Enough' campaign.
Those on a student or visitor visa who become subject to domestic abuse whilst residing in England, can also seek support from the Support for Migrant Victims (SMV) scheme. The SMV scheme was launched as a 12-month pilot in March 2021, run by Southall Black Sisters and their delivery partners, and supported with £1.5 million of Government funding. It provides support and wraparound services to migrant victims of domestic abuse. This support includes: accommodation, subsistence, legal advice and counselling.
Local authorities may also provide basic safety net support to migrant victims if a genuine care need is established that does not arise solely from destitution. Examples can include, where there are community care needs, migrants with serious health problems or family cases where the wellbeing of a child is in question.
Evidence from the independent evaluation of the SMV pilot, to be produced in a final report in early 2023, will inform future policy decisions surrounding our support for migrant victims of domestic abuse. Whilst we consider the evaluation findings and the lessons learned for future policy decisions, we will provide £1.4 million in 2022-23 to continue to fund support for all migrant victims of domestic abuse.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their evaluation of the Support for Migrant Victims pilot scheme.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Tackling domestic abuse and ensuring victims receive the support they need, is a priority for this Government. Furthermore, anyone who has suffered domestic abuse must be treated as a victim first and foremost, regardless of immigration status.
In April 2021, the Home Office launched the £1.5 million Support for Migrant Victims Scheme for migrant victims of domestic abuse who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF). The pilot, being run by Southall Black Sisters and their delivery partners for a duration of 12 months, provides wraparound support for migrant victims of domestic abuse, including subsistence, accommodation and counselling.
We have appointed an independent evaluator, Behavioural Insights Ltd, to assess the Scheme, with a view to producing a final report later this year. The Scheme and independent evaluation will help to build the evidence-base needed to better understand the diverse needs of the migrant population, which in turn should inform any future change in policy decisions.
In the interim, as announced in our recently published Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, we will provide £1.4 million in 2022-23 to continue to fund support for migrant victims of domestic abuse, whilst we take on board vital lessons learned from the pilot to inform future policy decisions.
The Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan will seek to transform the whole of society’s response in order to prevent offending, support victims and pursue perpetrators, as well as to strengthen the systems processes in place needed to deliver these goals. The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) National Statement of Expectations, and Commissioning Toolkit, which we have published alongside the Plan, will also provide support to commissioners to help them increase provision of ‘by and for’ and specialist services.