Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Work Rights Centre report The forgotten third: Migrant care workers' views on improving conditions in England's adult social care sector, published on 12 November, what consideration they have given to introducing special status or bridging visas to prevent the exploitation of migrant care workers at risk of losing their immigration status.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Exploitation of migrant care workers is completely unacceptable. Where exploitation does occur, we will take robust action.
Home Office and Department for Health and Social Care officials are working closely together, and with the Directors of Adult Social Services to support care workers who have been displaced as a result of sponsor licence revocations. An important part of this work includes finding the workers a suitable sponsor who can offer them long term secure employment. Care providers acting as sponsors for migrants in England must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
The Government will continue to keep under review what further action may be necessary to tackle exploitation, including removing non-compliant employers’ ability to bring overseas workers to the UK.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidelines entry clearance officers apply when considering a visit visa applicant’s income history in assessing whether they are a genuine visitor to the UK; what procedures are in place to ensure quality and consistency in entry clearance decisions for visit visa applications; and what appeal and complaint mechanisms are available for rejected visit visa applicants.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Immigration Rules for Visitors set out that visitors must have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit without working or accessing public funds. In assessing whether an applicant has sufficient funds, decision makers will consider the individual’s personal circumstances, including any evidence provided. There is also provision in the rules for an applicant’s travel, maintenance and accommodation to be provided by a third party.
The Visit Caseworker Guidance provides guidance to decision makers when assessing Visitor applications. Additional guidance for applicants is also available in the Supporting Documents guidance, which sets out suggested evidence required for the different types of visits including what types of financial documents applicants can present. These guidance documents are published on gov.uk
UK Visas and Immigration regularly reviews visit visa decisions as part of their overall decision quality approach. UKVI regularly undertakes decision maker training and refresher training courses, and uses lessons learned reviews to enhance and improve decision quality.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government on how many occasions enforcement action has been taken against care providers who fail to provide sufficient work for health and care workers recruited from overseas under the Certificate of Sponsorship scheme.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office does not publish data that would cover this request.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance is currently issued to health and care workers recruited from overseas with regard to the right of entry of dependent children.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes guidance on the Health and Care visa to assist in making a visa application, including for dependents. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa.
The guidance will be updated once the net migration changes announced in December come into force. Further details on the measures, and how carers and dependents will be affected, is available here: https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2024/02/01/reducing-net-migration-factsheet-december-2023/.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether support is provided to health and care workers recruited overseas in the visa application process for dependent children.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes guidance on the Health and Care visa to assist in making a visa application, including for dependents. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa.
The guidance will be updated once the net migration changes announced in December come into force. Further details on the measures, and how carers and dependents will be affected, is available here: https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2024/02/01/reducing-net-migration-factsheet-december-2023/.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to increase funding to agencies charged with countering international corruption in order to deliver on the commitment in the Integrated Review Refresh to "close down London as a centre for corrupt elites to launder money and enhance their reputations".
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that UK social care providers are selling certificates of sponsorship to social care workers in Zimbabwe.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The Home Office monitors sponsors through compliance checks to ensure they adhere to the requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the workers.
If anyone has reason to believe that abusive practices may be taking place, they should report this through our formal channels so that the information is placed in the hands of the relevant authorities for assessment and potential investigation. Full details of how to report information to the Home Office are available on our website at: www.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take, if any, to investigate alleged discrepancies in the application that Uebert Angel, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador at Large, made for British citizenship.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The Home Office takes allegations of immigration fraud seriously and thoroughly investigates allegations of deception with a view to removing status if appropriate.
We do not routinely comment on individual cases.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations against British citizens made in the Al Jazeera documentary, Gold Mafia; and what steps they will take, if any, to investigate the activities of companies whose named directors are alleged to have been involved in conspiracy to commit financial crime.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We do not comment on individual cases, this is a matter for law enforcement.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations of corruption and money laundering contained in the Al Jazeera documentary Gold Mafia, and what steps, if any, they will take to freeze assets held in the UK or dependent territories by those who have been (1) alleged to have engaged in, and (2) found guilty of, financial crime.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We do not comment on individual cases, this is a matter for law enforcement.