Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish any human rights assessments, legal advice or equivalent analyses undertaken in relation to the UK-France Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys, including assessments of its compatibility with (1) domestic law, (2) the European Convention on Human Rights, and (3) the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The UK has complied with its international law obligations in its fulfilment of its obligations under the treaty.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the total cost of the pilot UK-France returns scheme, Operation Hillmore, has been, broken down by (1) detention costs, (2) removal costs, and (3) funding provided to the French government to support the operation of the scheme.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
An internal assessment of the UK-France returns scheme is underway and will inform future plans to tackle illegal migration. The UK-France Treaty has ended and there are no current plans for the scheme to resume once operational activity has concluded.
Metrics from the UK-France returns scheme are published as part of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release. The Home Office is committed to publishing further data when operational activity under the pilot has concluded in 2026.
We do not comment on costs as these are commercially sensitive arrangements.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the end of the pilot UK-France returns scheme, Operation Hillmore; and what plans they have to replace, revise or resume the scheme.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
An internal assessment of the UK-France returns scheme is underway and will inform future plans to tackle illegal migration. The UK-France Treaty has ended and there are no current plans for the scheme to resume once operational activity has concluded.
Metrics from the UK-France returns scheme are published as part of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release. The Home Office is committed to publishing further data when operational activity under the pilot has concluded in 2026.
We do not comment on costs as these are commercially sensitive arrangements.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria and metrics they have used to assess the level of success of Operation Hillmore; and whether they will publish that information.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
An internal assessment of the UK-France returns scheme is underway and will inform future plans to tackle illegal migration. The UK-France Treaty has ended and there are no current plans for the scheme to resume once operational activity has concluded.
Metrics from the UK-France returns scheme are published as part of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release. The Home Office is committed to publishing further data when operational activity under the pilot has concluded in 2026.
We do not comment on costs as these are commercially sensitive arrangements.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to announce the proposed work and study route for refugees; and what assessment they have made of its role in providing safe and legal pathways for refugees to the UK who are currently unable to access existing routes.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 11 September to Question HL3403.
“In the Restoring Order and Control statement, the Home Secretary announced the development of new safe and legal routes to enable communities, universities and employers to identify refugees to sponsor.These routes offer an alternative to dangerous journeys for refugees genuinely fleeing war and persecution.
As announced on 27 June, the refugee study and named sponsorship routes will open to applications from prospective lead sponsors in the autumn, with arrivals expected from autumn 2027 onwards. The refugee work route is expected to open next year.
Work is underway to deliver the new routes, and the Government will set out further details in due course."
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what conditions need to be met by the government of Cameroon before visas can be issued again to students from Cameroon seeking to study in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The decision to implement a visa brake on the student route for nationals of Cameroon does not reflect the UK’s bilateral relationship with Cameroon which we value immensely.
The decision to introduce the visa brake is solely based upon the high number and proportion of visa-linked asylum claims in the student route, in order to protect the UK’s immigration system and border security.
The brake will be kept under regular review. The visa brake is not intended to be permanent, but it will only be released once the government considers it appropriate to do so.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of prospective students from Cameroon, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Sudan who have been unable to access a UK student visa for the 2026–27 academic year as a result of the restrictions on visa applications from nationals of those countries; and what assessment they have made of the impact of those restrictions on affected students and UK higher education institutions.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Applications for visas on the affected routes from the affected nationalities are now being refused. The Impact Assessment published during implementation of the visa brake sets out the forecasted impacts on Student visa applications for the affected nationalities. The latest public immigration statistics show that visa applications for the affected routes and nationalities in Q2 2026 have on average fallen by over 90% compared to Q4 2025.
We value the contribution of the higher education sector and continue to engage regularly with it, including Universities UK and the Russell Group, on the challenges the system faces. The visa brake is a temporary, evidence led measure, but will only be lifted when the Government judges it appropriate to do so.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to announce the proposed work and study visa routes for refugees; and what assessment they have made of the role such a route could play in providing safe and legal pathways to the UK for refugees who are currently unable to access existing visa routes.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
In the Restoring Order and Control statement, the Home Secretary announced the development of new safe and legal routes to enable communities, universities and employers to identify refugees to sponsor. These routes offer an alternative to dangerous journeys for refugees genuinely fleeing war and persecution.
As announced on 27 June, the refugee study and named sponsorship routes will open to applications from prospective lead sponsors in the autumn, with arrivals expected from autumn 2027 onwards. The refugee work route is expected to open next year.
Work is underway to deliver the new routes, and the Government will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what right of appeal or administrative review is available to individuals whose EU Settlement Scheme status is determined to have been granted in error; and what safeguards are in place to prevent erroneous decisions resulting in the loss of lawful residence rights.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Where the Home Office identifies that a person may have been granted EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status in error, they are given an opportunity to provide evidence to show that they meet the requirements for that status. Their existing status under the EUSS is not cancelled as a result of that process. Where the person holds pre-settled status, it remains valid until its expiry date but will not be extended beyond that point. The person is informed they do not meet the requirements to sponsor applications to the EUSS from family members.
A person informed by the Home Office that they have been granted pre-settled status in error can re-apply to the EUSS if they disagree and, if refused, they can appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). Where such an application to the EUSS is made before the expiry of their pre-settled status, they will continue to hold that status while the application, and any appeal against refusal, remains outstanding.
The Home Office considers that the existing arrangements are consistent with the UK's obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. The approach taken is the Home Office’s usual approach when limited leave to enter or remain is granted in error. It allows the person to continue to enjoy a basis of stay in the UK, and the right to work here, for the remaining period of that leave, during which they can apply for leave to remain in the UK under any immigration route available to them.
Local management information indicates that from the introduction of the EUSS in 2018 to 30 June 2026, 1,473 individuals have been notified that their pre-settled status was granted in error. These figures are derived from manual records and may be subject to revision. Information on how many of these individuals’ pre-settled status has expired, or is at risk of expiry, is not held in a reportable format.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many individuals have been informed that their EU Settlement Scheme status was granted in error since the introduction of the scheme; and how many of those individuals have subsequently lost, or are at risk of losing, their right to reside in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Where the Home Office identifies that a person may have been granted EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status in error, they are given an opportunity to provide evidence to show that they meet the requirements for that status. Their existing status under the EUSS is not cancelled as a result of that process. Where the person holds pre-settled status, it remains valid until its expiry date but will not be extended beyond that point. The person is informed they do not meet the requirements to sponsor applications to the EUSS from family members.
A person informed by the Home Office that they have been granted pre-settled status in error can re-apply to the EUSS if they disagree and, if refused, they can appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). Where such an application to the EUSS is made before the expiry of their pre-settled status, they will continue to hold that status while the application, and any appeal against refusal, remains outstanding.
The Home Office considers that the existing arrangements are consistent with the UK's obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. The approach taken is the Home Office’s usual approach when limited leave to enter or remain is granted in error. It allows the person to continue to enjoy a basis of stay in the UK, and the right to work here, for the remaining period of that leave, during which they can apply for leave to remain in the UK under any immigration route available to them.
Local management information indicates that from the introduction of the EUSS in 2018 to 30 June 2026, 1,473 individuals have been notified that their pre-settled status was granted in error. These figures are derived from manual records and may be subject to revision. Information on how many of these individuals’ pre-settled status has expired, or is at risk of expiry, is not held in a reportable format.