Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence they have examined, and from which organisations, to determine that (1) Georgia, and (2) India, are safe countries.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As with all our country assessments to inform asylum and immigration decision making, we have drawn on evidence taken from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what conditions exist in Rwanda that have led them to conclude that appropriate and professional age assessments will be capable of being carried out on people sent there for immigration purposes where special requirements apply in respect of an uncertainty over an individual’s age.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Our age assessment policies for immigration purposes seek to protect genuine children and identify those who are adults.
The UK-Rwanda Treaty makes clear at Article 3 that the agreement reached between the governments of Rwanda and the UK does not cover unaccompanied children and that the UK Government shall not seek to relocate unaccompanied children under the age of 18. It is therefore only those individuals who are confirmed to be, or have been assessed to be, adults who will be removed to Rwanda.
We have already strengthened the age assessment process through measures introduced in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence they have considered, and from which organisations, which has led them to the conclusion that Rwanda is a safe country.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The list of sources used are listed in the extensive country information notes, and the annexes that accompany them. This – alongside the additional assurances agreed with the Government of Rwanda under the terms of the UK-Rwanda Treaty: Provision of an Asylum Partnership – allow us to conclude that Rwanda is safe.
Detail of these is available via the ‘Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill: policy statement and evidence pack’ page on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the government of Georgia introducing a bill that would curtail LGBT+ rights on the UK government’s declaration that Georgia is a safe country for immigration purposes.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
In line with 80AA of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, we work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to regularly monitor and review the situation in countries where migrants originate from, including how any new legislation is applied in practice.