Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of asylum claims her Department has (a) granted and (b) refused to non-religious people fleeing Afghanistan from fear of persecution in the latest period for which data is available; and whether her Department has issued guidance on handling asylum claims for (a) religious and (b) non-religious persecution.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on initial decisions on asylum claims by nationality can be found in table Asy_D02 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. The Home Office does not publish initial decisions on asylum claims by religion.
Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to the year ending June 2024. Data for the year ending September 2024 will be published on 28 November 2024.
All asylum and human rights claims, including those based on religious persecution, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Our guidance for considering asylum claims is available on GOV.UK at: Assessing credibility and refugee status: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. This is based on evidence taken from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national, and international organisations, such as human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office. Our assessment of the situation of a given group in a given country, is set out in the relevant country policy and information note, which is available on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/country-policy-and-information-notes.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken for applications for indefinite leave to remain to be processed following a successful asylum claim on the mental health of applicants.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have a proud record of providing protection to those who need it, for as long as it is needed, in accordance with our international obligations. Those who qualify for protection are normally granted five years’ limited leave and have access to the labour market and welfare support. Refugees, like the vast majority of migrants, are expected to complete a qualifying period of leave before being eligible to apply for settlement.
Settlement provides permission to stay in the UK permanently and freedom from immigration control for those who still require protection. As the need for protection may be temporary, a safe return review is carried out on every application for settlement on a protection route to determine and confirm the need is continuing. If there are, for example, significant improvements in country conditions or changes in personal circumstances that mean someone no longer needs protection, they may be expected to return to their country of origin or to apply to stay in the UK under other provisions of the Immigration Rules. Those who are still at risk of serious harm in their country are not expected to return there.
Our service standards for these Indefinite Leave to Remain applications is six months, and in cases where this is not possible, we contact our customers within that time to explain the reasons for this. Safeguarding, including where there are mental health issues, is an issue that we take extremely seriously and we will expedite applications if there are compelling and compassionate reasons to do so.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Government response to the Brook House Inquiry report, published on 19 March 2024, what progress her Department has made on implementing the recommendations of that report.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The abuse that took place at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in 2017 was unacceptable.
The previous government published its response to the public inquiry into Brook House IRC on 19 March 2024, summarising the progress made since 2017 and addressing each of the ten key areas of concern raised in the report.
The new government is carefully considering the Inquiry’s recommendations and will set out its approach in due course.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will (a) collect and (b) publish data on (i) the protected characteristics of individuals in detention who have claimed asylum, (ii) where those individuals are detained and (iii) the period that those individuals have been detained for.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum seekers entering, in, and leaving detention in summary table Det_01 of the Immigration System Statistics data tables. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of community-based alternatives to detention.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Detention is an important component of a functioning immigration system. The Department will keep under review the effectiveness of alternatives to detention pilots.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the risk of (a) abuse, (b) harassment and (c) violence faced by LGBTQI+ people in immigration detention centres.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is vital that detention and removal are carried out with dignity and respect, and we take the welfare and safety of people in our care very seriously. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination against those who are detained in our immigration removal estate. We keep the level of risk under regular review and will take robust action against anyone who is found not to have behaved appropriately.
In order to effectively support individuals in immigration detention who identify as LGBT+ there is detailed published guidance for all staff working in immigration removal centres (IRCs). Detention Services Orders 2/2016 ‘Lesbian, gay and bisexual detainees in the detention estate’ and 11/2012 ‘Care and Management of Transsexual Detainees’ set out the actions and safeguarding processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of LGBT+ individuals are identified and appropriately met.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of provisions in Section 32 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 on LGBTQI+ people in the asylum system.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Each asylum claim lodged in the UK is considered in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The cornerstone of the asylum consideration process remains the requirement to establish a well-founded fear of persecution for a reason set out in Article 1(A)(2) of the Refugee Convention. No one who is found to be at risk of serious harm, including on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, will be returned to their country of origin.
The Home Office remains committed to delivering an asylum system that is responsive to all forms of persecution including those based on sexuality or gender identity.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to set a date to commence Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 to enforce safe access zones outside abortion clinics.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We are committed to commencing Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 as soon as possible. Protecting women’s rights is a priority for this government, and it is vital that anyone exercising their legal right to access abortion services is free from harassment and intimidation.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason an electronic database has not been created to keep track of the children in hotels used for asylum seekers.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
There are no unaccompanied children in hotels.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to increase opportunities for children and young people to (a) express their views and experiences of and (b) make decisions affecting their living conditions in contingency accommodation.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
Asylum seekers have access to health and social care services from the point of arrival in the UK. The Home Office and its contractors work closely with the NHS, local authorities and non-governmental organisations to ensure that people can access the healthcare and support they need.
The Home Office also operates a Safeguarding Hub to support vulnerable individuals in accessing these services. In addition, the Home Office contracts Migrant Help to provide advice and guidance to asylum seekers should they have an issue with their accommodation or support, and for signposting to health and welfare services. Asylum seekers can access Migrant Help 24/7, every day of the year; by a freephone telephone number, via an online chat, or completing an email enquiry form, both of which can be accessed free of charge on the Migrant Help website. Interpreting and translation services are available through Migrant Help when the need arises for asylum seekers to raise any queries or concerns.
Whilst any safeguarding, medical, or other personal circumstances are considered, all asylum accommodation is provided on a ‘no choice basis’.