Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether flights to Rwanda or other destinations will be operated from the proposed new asylum accommodation centre at RAF Linton-on-Ouse while it is used as asylum accommodation.
Answered by Kevin Foster
307 - Prior to an individual being allocated accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse, an assessment will take place by the Home Office using a suitability criteria.
Should an individual be allocated accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse and information comes to light meaning they are no longer suitable, their case will be reviewed, and alternative suitable accommodation will be allocated under existing arrangements.
The Service Provider has responsibility to notify the Home Office of any change in circumstances of those allocated accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse. As part of the individual’s induction on site, they will be given Migrant Help’s number to report any issues or concerns, including the suitability of the accommodation.
306 - Those housed in asylum accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse will not be considered for relocation to Rwanda. There are no plans to use the Air strip for flights.
308 - To ensure the safety and wellbeing of those allocated accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse, an assessment will take place by the Home Office prior to allocation using suitability criteria. The factors which are currently considered when assessing the suitability of individual asylum seekers to particular accommodation is set out in the policy guidance ‘Allocation of Accommodation’.
This policy guidance will be reviewed as part of any preparations to open asylum accommodation in Linton-on-Ouse.
305 - Those housed in asylum accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse will not be considered for relocation to Rwanda.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed new asylum accommodation centre at RAF Linton-on-Ouse will be used to accommodate only those asylum seekers who have been deemed eligible to be sent to Rwanda under the UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership agreement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
307 - Prior to an individual being allocated accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse, an assessment will take place by the Home Office using a suitability criteria.
Should an individual be allocated accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse and information comes to light meaning they are no longer suitable, their case will be reviewed, and alternative suitable accommodation will be allocated under existing arrangements.
The Service Provider has responsibility to notify the Home Office of any change in circumstances of those allocated accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse. As part of the individual’s induction on site, they will be given Migrant Help’s number to report any issues or concerns, including the suitability of the accommodation.
306 - Those housed in asylum accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse will not be considered for relocation to Rwanda. There are no plans to use the Air strip for flights.
308 - To ensure the safety and wellbeing of those allocated accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse, an assessment will take place by the Home Office prior to allocation using suitability criteria. The factors which are currently considered when assessing the suitability of individual asylum seekers to particular accommodation is set out in the policy guidance ‘Allocation of Accommodation’.
This policy guidance will be reviewed as part of any preparations to open asylum accommodation in Linton-on-Ouse.
305 - Those housed in asylum accommodation at Linton-on-Ouse will not be considered for relocation to Rwanda.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has for the continued use of Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre for the processing of clandestine arrivals by boat.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We operate the immigration removal estate in a flexible manner and in line with the Short Term Holding Facility (STHF) Rules 2018 and the Detention Centre Rules 2001, as appropriate.
In order to support the management of the arrival of migrants by boat, we have temporarily accommodated people under the provisions of the STHF Rules 2018, in a small number of immigration removal centres (IRCs) including Dungavel House. Dungavel IRC is only considered when capacity is exceeded at other facilities, or contingencies are exhausted and has not been used for processing Channel migrants since November 2021.
Following initial processing and screening, asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are able to access statutory support and accommodation from the Home Office in accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 whilst their application for asylum is being considered. Individuals who are eligible for such support are provided with transportation to asylum accommodation.
The Home Office publishes statistics on immigration detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. This includes data on people:
Data on those entering detention, by place of detention, relate to the place of initial detention. An individual who moves from one part of the detention estate to another will not be counted as entering any subsequent place of detention.
Last place of detention does not show where an individual spent their time in detention. In some cases, an individual may have spent a period of time detained elsewhere before being moved to their last place of detention.
Asylum-related cases refer to those where there has been an asylum claim at some stage prior or during detention. This will include asylum seekers whose asylum claims have been refused, and who have exhausted any rights of appeal, those returned under third country provisions, as well as those granted asylum/protection, but detained for other reasons (such as criminality).
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers detained for arriving in the UK by boat have been transported to Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre as of 1 April 2022.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We operate the immigration removal estate in a flexible manner and in line with the Short Term Holding Facility (STHF) Rules 2018 and the Detention Centre Rules 2001, as appropriate.
In order to support the management of the arrival of migrants by boat, we have temporarily accommodated people under the provisions of the STHF Rules 2018, in a small number of immigration removal centres (IRCs) including Dungavel House. Dungavel IRC is only considered when capacity is exceeded at other facilities, or contingencies are exhausted and has not been used for processing Channel migrants since November 2021.
Following initial processing and screening, asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are able to access statutory support and accommodation from the Home Office in accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 whilst their application for asylum is being considered. Individuals who are eligible for such support are provided with transportation to asylum accommodation.
The Home Office publishes statistics on immigration detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. This includes data on people:
Data on those entering detention, by place of detention, relate to the place of initial detention. An individual who moves from one part of the detention estate to another will not be counted as entering any subsequent place of detention.
Last place of detention does not show where an individual spent their time in detention. In some cases, an individual may have spent a period of time detained elsewhere before being moved to their last place of detention.
Asylum-related cases refer to those where there has been an asylum claim at some stage prior or during detention. This will include asylum seekers whose asylum claims have been refused, and who have exhausted any rights of appeal, those returned under third country provisions, as well as those granted asylum/protection, but detained for other reasons (such as criminality).
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where asylum seekers are sent once their claims for asylum are processed at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We operate the immigration removal estate in a flexible manner and in line with the Short Term Holding Facility (STHF) Rules 2018 and the Detention Centre Rules 2001, as appropriate.
In order to support the management of the arrival of migrants by boat, we have temporarily accommodated people under the provisions of the STHF Rules 2018, in a small number of immigration removal centres (IRCs) including Dungavel House. Dungavel IRC is only considered when capacity is exceeded at other facilities, or contingencies are exhausted and has not been used for processing Channel migrants since November 2021.
Following initial processing and screening, asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are able to access statutory support and accommodation from the Home Office in accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 whilst their application for asylum is being considered. Individuals who are eligible for such support are provided with transportation to asylum accommodation.
The Home Office publishes statistics on immigration detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. This includes data on people:
Data on those entering detention, by place of detention, relate to the place of initial detention. An individual who moves from one part of the detention estate to another will not be counted as entering any subsequent place of detention.
Last place of detention does not show where an individual spent their time in detention. In some cases, an individual may have spent a period of time detained elsewhere before being moved to their last place of detention.
Asylum-related cases refer to those where there has been an asylum claim at some stage prior or during detention. This will include asylum seekers whose asylum claims have been refused, and who have exhausted any rights of appeal, those returned under third country provisions, as well as those granted asylum/protection, but detained for other reasons (such as criminality).
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to publish the Home Office planning consultation for Napier Barracks from January 2022; and how the submissions on that matter will be used by her Department.
Answered by Kevin Foster
A public consultation on the Special Development Order concluded on 30 January 2022. Responses will be considered in due course.
Discussions are still ongoing regarding how submissions will be utilised by the Home Office.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2022 to Question 117802 on Asylum: Mental Illness, what the (a) role and (b) membership of the National Asylum Seeker Health Steering Group is; and what steps she is taking to help ensure that the mental health needs of asylum seekers are met.
Answered by Kevin Foster
On 25 June the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care established an officials-led National Asylum Seeker Steering Group (NASHSG). The group brings together experts from across the health and immigration sectors, including NGOs and devolved administrations, to consider the specific health and wellbeing needs, barriers and solutions for people seeking asylum status in the UK, with the aim of implementing the recommendations of the Safeguarding Adults National Network, ‘The Health, Wellbeing and Safeguarding Needs of Individuals Seeking Asylum’ report.
In addition, to address asylum seeker mental health needs, in September 2021 we allocated just over £1 million in grant funding to four projects running from the beginning of October 2021 until the end of March 2022. This was open to bids from local authorities, civil society organisations and strategic migration partnerships and the following four bidders were successful:
- Groundwork London
- Solace
- Barnardo’s
- Refugee Council
This work covers virtual and in-person support, direct trauma counselling, trauma informed and culturally responsive training for both front line staff and those delivering mental health services. Additionally, we have ensured a champion’s model that organisations can deploy to enhance access to appropriate therapeutic services for asylum seekers.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse has been for private contractors to manage and run Napier Barracks to date.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Costs are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system. Accommodation costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. However, total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department will set annual resettlement targets as part of the Emergency Resettlement Mechanism.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government will pilot an Emergency Resettlement Mechanism to provide urgent protection in exceptional circumstances to refugees referred by UNHCR as in need of rapid emergency resettlement.
The successful emergency evacuation of approximately 15,000 people from Afghanistan to the UK has significantly increased demand on available local authority housing and support. As a direct result, the commencement of the pilot has been put on hold temporarily.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on delivering the Emergency Resettlement Mechanism; and on what date that programme will open.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government will pilot an Emergency Resettlement Mechanism to provide urgent protection in exceptional circumstances to refugees referred by UNHCR as in need of rapid emergency resettlement.
The successful emergency evacuation of approximately 15,000 people from Afghanistan to the UK has significantly increased demand on available local authority housing and support. As a direct result, the commencement of the pilot has been put on hold temporarily.