Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the report by Women for Refugee Women See Us, Believe Us, Stand with Us, published on 2 March, and (2) the implications of their Illegal Migration Bill on the experiences of lesbian and bisexual women seeking asylum in the UK.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
An equalities impact assessment will be published for the Illegal Migration Bill in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why only 22 Afghans have been resettled under Pathway 2 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme as of December 2022.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will see up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan and the region resettled to the UK over the coming years.
Under the second pathway, which opened in 2022, we have now begun to receive the first referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of vulnerable refugees who have fled Afghanistan for resettlement to the UK. Further detail can be found on the UNHCR website: UNHCR UK Information and Links on Afghanistan Situation - UNHCR United Kingdom
We will continue to receive referrals to the scheme in coming years.
The pace of actual arrivals will depend on a range of factors including the flow of referrals from UNHCR and the availability of suitable accommodation and support in the UK. As with existing and previous resettlement schemes, we will manage flows based on need and in support of the wellbeing of the people and communities involved.
Those referred will be assessed for resettlement by UNHCR using their established processes.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to end the use of hotels accommodating unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The rise in the number of small boat crossings has placed significant pressures on local authority care placements for young people. Out of necessity, and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels to give some unaccompanied children a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found.
The safety and welfare of those in our care, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC), is our primary concern and the Home Office has robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure those in our accommodation are as safe and supported as possible as we seek urgent placements with a local authority. Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day, alongside social workers and nurses.
The National Transfer scheme (NTS) has already transferred 3,148 children to local authorities with children’s services between 1 July 2021 and 30 September 2022. This compares to 739 children transferred in the same time period in the previous year. We are providing local authorities with children’s services with an additional £15,000 for every eligible young person they take into their care from a dedicated UASC hotel, or the Reception and Safe Care Service in Kent, by the end of February 2023.
All UASC in interim emergency hotels are referred to local authorities under the mandated NTS within the shortest time frame possible. The time it takes for a local authority to identify a placement varies and has meant some UASC experiencing delays in transferring.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support, including (1) legal support, (2) mental health support, and (3) medical provision, they are providing to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children placed in hotels.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The rise in the number of small boat crossings has placed significant pressures on local authority care placements for young people. Out of necessity, and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels to give some unaccompanied children a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found.
The safety and welfare of those in our care, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC), is our primary concern and the Home Office has robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure those in our accommodation are as safe and supported as possible as we seek urgent placements with a local authority. Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day, alongside social workers and nurses.
The National Transfer scheme (NTS) has already transferred 3,148 children to local authorities with children’s services between 1 July 2021 and 30 September 2022. This compares to 739 children transferred in the same time period in the previous year. We are providing local authorities with children’s services with an additional £15,000 for every eligible young person they take into their care from a dedicated UASC hotel, or the Reception and Safe Care Service in Kent, by the end of February 2023.
All UASC in interim emergency hotels are referred to local authorities under the mandated NTS within the shortest time frame possible. The time it takes for a local authority to identify a placement varies and has meant some UASC experiencing delays in transferring.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to Written Answer by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 6 February (HL 5085), what steps they are taking to determine the details of any family members who were separated from people evacuated to the UK from Afghanistan as part of Operation Pitting.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The government remains committed to providing protection for vulnerable people fleeing Afghanistan. However, the situation is very complex and presents significant challenges, including how those who are eligible for resettlement in the UK can leave the country. This includes the eligible family members of those being resettled under the ACRS. For those evacuated from Afghanistan under the ACRS without their immediate family members, further information will be made available in due course about options for reuniting with them.
Whilst the Home Office are currently not able to provide a breakdown of family members data, work is underway to assure information relating to all the individuals relocated under the ARAP and ACRS is on case working systems. Once this work concludes, further statistics on both schemes - including the number of people resettled under each - will be included in the published Immigration Statistics.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord True on 14 December 2022 (HL Deb col 702) in which he committed to providing information previously requested by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede about protection for people fleeing domestic violence when making asylum applications from countries designated as "safe" countries, when they will provide this information.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Detailed Home Office policy guidance provides a framework for considering asylum claims, including those based on domestic violence, and every asylum claim is carefully considered on its individual merits. This includes those from nationals of countries which are designated as “safe”; assessing all the evidence provided by the claimant against a background of published country information.
Protection status is normally granted where a claimant has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention or a claimant faces a real risk of serious harm. Refusals will attract a right of appeal unless the claim is certified. We will not remove anyone to their own or any other country where they would face persecution or serious harm.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what number and proportion of people aged under 25 making an application for limited leave to remain under the Immigration Rules Appendix Private Life were granted a fee waiver in (1) 2021, and (2) 2022.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office does not hold published data on the number and proportion of people under 25 making an application for limited leave to remain under the Immigration Rules Appendix Private Life were granted a fee waiver in (1) 2021, and (2) 2022.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of (1) the total number of people who are currently eligible for the five-year route to settlement introduced in 2022 as Appendix Private Life to the Immigration Rules, and (2) the number of those people who would meet the threshold to be granted a fee waiver for a limited leave to remain applications.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Eligibility for the Private Life routes is set out in the Immigration Rules. Each application is considered on its merits and on a case by-case basis taking into account the individual circumstances.
Any applications for a fee waiver are considered against published criteria on a case by-case basis.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of providing a fee waiver for indefinite leave to remain applications for people aged under 25 who can demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee after meeting essential living costs.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office keeps the fees for immigration and nationality applications under review. No specific assessment on the potential merits of providing a fee waiver for Indefinite Leave to Remain for people aged under 25 has been undertaken.
The Home Office provides exceptions to the need to pay application fees in a number of specific circumstances. These exceptions ensure the Home Office’s immigration and nationality fee structure complies with international obligations and wider government policy.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what processes they have put in place to allow people on Pathway 1 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme to be joined by family members who were not evacuated to the UK under Operation Pitting; and why those resettled under this Pathway do not have access to the right to refugee family reunion so as to sponsor relatives to join them in the UK.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
In line with our existing policy, those resettled under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) may be able to be accompanied by their immediate family members including their spouse or partner, and dependent children under 18.
This government’s family reunion policy allows those recognised as refugees or granted humanitarian protection in the UK to sponsor pre-flight, immediate family members to join them here. Only those referred by UNHCR, under Pathway 2 of the ACRS, will have refugee status. They will, therefore, be able to access the refugee family reunion route.
For those evacuated from Afghanistan under the ACRS without their immediate family members, further information will be made available in due course about options for reuniting with them.
Those already in the UK under ACRS Pathway 1, wishing to bring family members other than immediate family members would need to apply through the regular family visa route under Appendix FM of the Immigration rules.
The government remains committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan. The situation is very complex and presents significant challenges, including how those who are eligible for resettlement in the UK can leave the country. This includes the eligible family members of those being resettled under the ACRS.