Immigration: Pausing the Hostile Environment Debate

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Department: Home Office

Immigration: Pausing the Hostile Environment

Clive Efford Excerpts
Thursday 12th July 2018

(6 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Caroline Nokes Portrait Caroline Nokes
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The hon. Lady raises a really important point. She will be absolutely conscious, as I am, that EU citizens have every right to be here under free movement rules. I am conscious that we need to focus our efforts on those who do not have a legal right to be here and make sure that those who are inadvertently caught up in any policy are given absolutely the right assistance and information that they need. There are particular challenges regarding those who may be homeless. An excellent cross-departmental taskforce, led by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, is currently working on homelessness. It is important that we get our policies right in that respect.

Clive Efford Portrait Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)
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If the Government are not trying to avoid setting up a hardship fund, why the delay?

Caroline Nokes Portrait Caroline Nokes
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The Government are setting up a compensation scheme and it is absolutely right that we consult on that before so doing. Martin Forde’s call for evidence received a great deal of information—in excess of 600 pieces of evidence. As I have already said, the DWP is the lead Department for making sure that those who were entitled to benefits and may have been denied them have them not only reinstated immediately but backdated.