Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide public service interpreters to assist asylum seekers if they are required to submit a written asylum application in English.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
12,000 asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria, Yemen, and Libya who lodged asylum claims before 28 June 2022 will be considered through a Streamlined Asylum Process. This will involve eligible claimants being sent a questionnaire asking them to provide all the necessary information so claims can be considered more quickly. This will speed up decisions for those in genuine need, ending the uncertainty over their future, and help us remove people with no right to be here.
It is standard practice for the Home Office to issue correspondence and questionnaires to asylum claimants in English. This is to avoid responses being received in other languages.
Asylum claims will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis against published Immigration Rules, policy guidance and country information. These five nationalities had a grant rate of over 95% in the year-ending September 2022, therefore it is right to accelerate the processing of these claims where appropriate. An automatic grant of protection status for these countries is certainly not guaranteed – all individuals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and an interview will follow the questionnaire if more information is needed.
All individuals will have already undergone a screening interview, including criminal checks and will have their biometrics, such as their fingerprints, taken before they can be considered for a grant of protection status.
If individuals do not reply to the questionnaire, and the Home Office is unable to trace them, their claim could be withdrawn.
We will respond to the correspondence from the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reduction in the number of school groups visiting the UK from EU countries since the introduction of the requirement for every child in a group to have an individual visa.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Schoolchildren who are EU, EEA and Swiss nationals do not require a visa to visit the UK.
Like other non-visa nationals visiting the UK they are expected to have a valid national passport.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of the impact on incoming school group visits to the UK from the EU of the requirement from 1 October that such groups will need to ensure that each individual child holds a full international passport, and (2) what plans they have to allow children on school trips to the UK from the EU to enter with an ID card only.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We have always expected people who visit the UK, including children visiting as part of a school group, from outside the EU (including close allies such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) to hold a passport and we now expect those visiting from EU countries to do the same.
We have therefore phased out the use of EU, other EEA and Swiss national identity cards as a valid travel document for entry to the UK as a visitor, and as of 1 October 2021 all visitors are expected to hold a passport (and visa where necessary).
We provided almost a year’s notice for this change to allow people to plan ahead and obtain a passport, if they need to, before they travel. There are no plans to allow child visitors on school trips to enter the UK from the EU without holding either an individual or being part of a collective passport.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to speed up the process of visa applications for classroom language assistants.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
With the introduction of the Skilled Worker route on 01 December 2020 we suspended the limit on overseas visas to work in the UK, and removed the Resident Labour Market Test. These changes have reduced the length of the process to recruit a worker from overseas by up to eight weeks in comparison to the former Tier 2 (General) route.
These reforms are part of a wider transformation to make the points-based system streamlined and digital. Enhancements for sponsors, combined with those for applicants, mean a faster end-to-end process from a sponsor getting a licence to an applicant coming to the UK. We have introduced Chip Checker functionality for a fully digital application system for EEA nationals applying through the new points-based system, allowing a fully online application process, reducing the time it takes an applicant to get a decision by up to one week.
The Home Office published its Sponsorship roadmap in August 2021 outlining its plans to deliver further reforms to the points-based system. These planned changes will make it easier for users to navigate the system and further reduce the processing times for employers to bring someone to the UK to work. Further details on the planned reforms can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-points-based-immigration-system-sponsorship-roadmap
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration An inspection of the Home Office’s use of language services in the asylum process, published on 11 November.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office have assessed the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration’s (ICIBI) report that was conducted between May to November 2019.
The Department has accepted all three of the ICIBI’s recommendations and our formal response of 11 November 2020 has been published and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/response-to-an-inspection-of-the-home-offices-use-of-language-services-in-the-asylum-process
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the Home Secretary to the Migration Advisory Committee, published on 23 October, on what evidence they based their decision "not to immediately accept the recommendations" contained in the report by the Migration Advisory Committee Review of the Shortage Occupation List: 2020, published on 29 September, that teachers of modern foreign languages and interpreters be included on the Shortage Occupations List.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The recent review of the Shortage Occupation Lists (SOL) was commissioned at a time when the main variable under consideration was the broadening of the skills requirement to include RQF level 3-5 occupations.
The UK labour market has changed dramatically due to the economic impacts of the measures necessary to tackle Covid-19. Many UK based workers now face an uncertain future and need to find new employment opportunities. The Government is clear our migration policies need to be considered alongside our strategies for the UK labour market.
Whilst we have considered carefully the possible impacts of the new immigration system, additional variables such as Covid-19 require closer examination. To avoid taking a piecemeal approach to implementing the MAC’s advice, we need time to monitor the various influences on migration flows and the labour market, including introduction of a new immigration system, and whether this is in line with our anticipated outcomes, before considering which changes are required.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 16 November (HL Deb, col 1272), when were visa requirements for visitors to the UK from Peru last reviewed; and what criteria will be used to decide whether further review is required.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The UK keeps its visa system under regular review. Decisions on changes are always taken in the round and reflect key facets of the bilateral relationship with the country concerned. These will vary globally, but often include security, compliance, returns, and prosperity.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure information about the COVID-19 pandemic is made available to asylum seekers in the UK; and in which languages such information is made available (1) in printed form, (2) online, and (3) on social media.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
There are currently no plans to update social Media with COVID-19 guidance in languages other than English and Welsh.
Guidance for COVID-19 has been translated into 60 different languages in partnership with the British Red Cross and other partners such as Migrant help and is available using the link provided: http://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/coronavirus-information/
Also, videos with key COVID-19 information for migrants in the UK are being released here: https://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/key-covid-19-information-for-migrants/
Alternatively links to translated support and guidance can be found through our Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) provider, Migrant Help here: https://www.migranthelpuk.org/translated-support
Providers signpost the people we support to these website where these documents are available to download, print or view online. Printed guidance has also been given to those residing in Home Office initial accommodation in their own languages relating to hygiene, washing hands, social distancing, coronavirus symptoms and what to do if they become symptomatic
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the Immigration Rules to allow applications for relocation to the UK from former interpreters who have fled Afghanistan, who are otherwise eligible under the Ex-Gratia Redundancy Scheme, but need to apply from a third country.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We keep the Immigration Rules for the ex-gratia scheme for those Afghan interpreters who supported HM Forces under regular review, and will continue working with the Ministry of Defence to consider options for those who may otherwise be eligible to relocate to the United Kingdom but have left Afghanistan.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations in the report by the Migration Advisory Committee Review of the Shortage Occupation List: 2020, published on 29 September, that (1) teachers of modern foreign languages in secondary schools, and (2) interpreters, should be included on that list; and what plans they have to implement those recommendations.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published its report on the Shortage Occupation List on 29 September. This can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-shortage-occupation-list-2020.
We are considering carefully its recommendations before commenting on whether specific occupations will be included and taking any final decisions.