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Written Question
Asylum: Greater Manchester
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of notices given to asylum seekers to leave accommodation provided by his Department on trends in the level of demand for local government homelessness services in Greater Manchester.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Since September 2023, all individuals receive a minimum of 28 days’ support (including accommodation) after having been issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). There are no current plans to extend the 28 days prescribed in legislation due to the huge pressures on the asylum system.

We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.

We work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures. Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.

We are working with our partners, including local authorities, to provide timely notification of key events that impact them. We are working with our Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) to facilitate regional sessions with councils and to share data.


Written Question
Asylum: Greater Manchester
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with local councils in Greater Manchester on the potential availability of housing for refugees who have reached the end of their move-on period.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Since September 2023, all individuals receive a minimum of 28 days’ support (including accommodation) after having been issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). There are no current plans to extend the 28 days prescribed in legislation due to the huge pressures on the asylum system.

We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.

We work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures. Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.

We are working with our partners, including local authorities, to provide timely notification of key events that impact them. We are working with our Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) to facilitate regional sessions with councils and to share data.


Written Question
Asylum: Greater Manchester
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with local councils in Greater Manchester on the notice period given by accommodation providers when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Since September 2023, all individuals receive a minimum of 28 days’ support (including accommodation) after having been issued with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). There are no current plans to extend the 28 days prescribed in legislation due to the huge pressures on the asylum system.

We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.

We work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures. Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.

We are working with our partners, including local authorities, to provide timely notification of key events that impact them. We are working with our Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) to facilitate regional sessions with councils and to share data.


Written Question
Protective Security for Mosques Scheme
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department plans to consult representatives of Muslim organisations on the effectiveness of the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Home Office works with a number of stakeholders in relation to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and our wider work on protective security for faith communities, including the police, delivery partners, other government departments, devolved administrations and faith and community organisations.

We continue to work closely with these stakeholders to understand the safety and security issues affecting Muslim communities in the UK, to ensure that our protective security interventions remain effective and aligned with good practice.


Written Question
Protective Security for Mosques Scheme
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which organisations his Department consulted when establishing the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Home Office works with a number of stakeholders in relation to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and our wider work on protective security for faith communities, including the police, delivery partners, other government departments, devolved administrations and faith and community organisations.

We continue to work closely with these stakeholders to understand the safety and security issues affecting Muslim communities in the UK, to ensure that our protective security interventions remain effective and aligned with good practice.


Written Question
Protective Security for Mosques Scheme
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been approved under the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme as of 17 January 2024, by region.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Protective Security for Mosque Scheme is a new scheme in 2023/24 and opened on 21 June 2023.

As of 17 January 2024, the Home Office has received 269 applications to the scheme. By region, applications have been received from the East Midlands (32), East of England (24), Greater London (57), North East (21), North West (54), South East (22), South West (8), West Midlands (36), Northern Ireland (3) and Wales (12).

Decisions on applications will be communicated to applicant mosques and Muslim faith community centres in due course. The scheme remains open to applicants and information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worship-security-funding-scheme


Written Question
Protective Security for Mosques Scheme
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been denied under the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme as of 17 January 2024, by region.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Protective Security for Mosque Scheme is a new scheme in 2023/24 and opened on 21 June 2023.

As of 17 January 2024, the Home Office has received 269 applications to the scheme. By region, applications have been received from the East Midlands (32), East of England (24), Greater London (57), North East (21), North West (54), South East (22), South West (8), West Midlands (36), Northern Ireland (3) and Wales (12).

Decisions on applications will be communicated to applicant mosques and Muslim faith community centres in due course. The scheme remains open to applicants and information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worship-security-funding-scheme


Written Question
Protective Security for Mosques Scheme
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications he has received under the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme as of 17 January 2024, by region.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Protective Security for Mosque Scheme is a new scheme in 2023/24 and opened on 21 June 2023.

As of 17 January 2024, the Home Office has received 269 applications to the scheme. By region, applications have been received from the East Midlands (32), East of England (24), Greater London (57), North East (21), North West (54), South East (22), South West (8), West Midlands (36), Northern Ireland (3) and Wales (12).

Decisions on applications will be communicated to applicant mosques and Muslim faith community centres in due course. The scheme remains open to applicants and information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worship-security-funding-scheme


Written Question
Israel Defense Forces: British Nationals Abroad
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he considers British nationals fighting for the Israel Defence Force to be a risk to national security.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The UK recognises the right of British nationals with additional nationalities to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of the country of their other nationalities.


Written Question
Places of Worship Security Funding Scheme
Wednesday 25th October 2023

Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many places of worship of religion have applied for funding through the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme since 2016.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme provides physical protective security measures, such as CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing to places of worship and associated faith community centres that are particularly vulnerable to religiously or racially motivated hate crime in England and Wales.

In the first seven years of the scheme between 2016 and 2022, the Home Office approved protective security measures at 523 places of worship across England and Wales: 225 mosques, 201 churches, 47 gurdwaras, 38 Hindu temples, and 12 places of worship of other faiths.

The Home Office is currently processing applications for this year’s scheme with a view to informing applicants of the outcome in the near future.