Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with (a) local authorities, (b) Health Boards, (c ) the local voluntary sector and (d) the Senedd on accommodating asylum seekers in Wales.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office has an established governance process with local authorities in Wales, as it does with other nations and local authorities in England, to drive delivery of our full dispersal plans.
The governance process includes a monthly meeting between the Home Office, our accommodation providers, Strategic Migration Partnerships and local authorities in Wales to drive collective delivery against this target. The focus of these discussions is to consider progress against the regional dispersal plan, opportunities and local housing market pressures.
The Standard Operating Procedure sets out that when a site is identified for use on the Asylum Support Contracts, the Deputy Director of Asylum Support will initially notify the Chief Executive of the relevant local authority and the Member of Parliament. This will notify the local authority that we have identified the site as a potential contingency site and that we will commence engagement with local authority officials, as well as Police and Health partners.
We are committed to work closely with all local authorities and stakeholders through Multi Agency Forum (MAF) meetings to address any concerns of the local community and reduce the impact on local services.
Furthermore, we recently met with Welsh counterparts such as Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt MP on 30th March.
The latest Home Office figures show that Wales holds 2.6% of supported asylum seekers while Wales makes up 5.2% of the UK’s population. The current number of asylum seekers being accommodated in Wales is lower than it was in June 2020, despite the significant increase in asylum claims.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to provide wi-fi for asylum seekers accommodated in Arfon constituency.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Welsh Government have funded and worked in partnership with accommodation providers to provide Mi-Fi, a Wi-Fi device, across all dispersal accommodation sites in Wales enabling internet coverage for supported asylum seekers. As of March 31st 2023, there are no supported asylum seekers being accommodated in Arfon Wales.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to provide independent inspections of the (a) accommodation and (b) support for asylum seekers in Wales.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The government has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and other support whilst their application for asylum is being considered as set out in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. The Act also sets out the need to meet essential living needs. The support package provided consists of accommodation and a weekly cash allowance to meet other essential living needs such as food, toiletries, travel and clothing. The support rate for those in contingency accommodation is intended to cover essential living items that are not met by the accommodation provider such as clothing, non-prescription medicine and travel.
All asylum properties are also inspected by our accommodation providers at least monthly. Additionally, our contract assurance team carries out targeted inspections, for example, targeting for inspection properties about which issues have been raised via Migrant Help. Our inspectors have procedures and tools to focus inspections on all relevant aspects of contract compliance.
If accommodation providers have been found to have fallen short of the required standards then we can take action, including but not limited to the application of financial remedies.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to provide lessons in (a) English and (b) Welsh to asylum seekers in Wales.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office does not provide English or Welsh Language lessons as part of the provision of Asylum Support. Accommodation providers do signpost asylum seekers they accommodate to local statutory and non-statutory bodies who may provide these services. Local authorities have a duty to provide suitable full-time education for all children of compulsory school age resident in their area. The education must be appropriate to the child’s age, ability, and any special educational needs they may have, regardless of their immigration status. Local authorities must offer free school places in accordance with their published admissions arrangements, and they must ensure that there is no unreasonable delay in securing school admission for any child.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a comparative assessment of the potential merits of housing asylum seekers in (a) dispersal and (b) contingency accommodation; and if she make will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Contingency Accommodation is accommodation that the Home Office has to use in order to continue to meet our statutory obligations. It is not a long-term solution to housing destitute asylum seekers and the Home Office is committed to moving away from contingency accommodation to more suitable forms of accommodation, including Dispersed Accommodation.
From 13 April 2022, all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are considered a dispersal area and will need to take part in asylum dispersal. This is to ensure a fair and equitable accommodation spread of asylum seekers across the UK. We have agreed targets for every local authority and region in the UK to deliver by the end of 2023.
Currently Arfon does not have any dispersal accommodation. If you would like to put forward specific proposals, please do contact the Home Office at: rasiengagementhubregionalconsultation@homeoffice.gov.uk and officials will happily discuss this in greater detail with you.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance is issued by her Department on the weight expected to be given to (a) family ties, (b) culture and (c) language when deciding where asylum seekers should be accommodated.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Under the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999, the Government is required to provide accommodation to asylum seekers that would otherwise be destitute.
It is Home Office policy to offer accommodation on a no choice basis except in exceptional circumstances:
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has placed any contractual requirements on private organisations to liaise with (a) local authorities, (b) health boards, (c) local voluntary sector and (d) Senedd Cymru when planning to accommodate asylum seekers in Wales.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office requires that all of our accommodation providers engage and consult with local authorities and other partners on the procurement and placement of supported asylum seekers. Full details of our requirements can be found online at:
AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder
The Home Office is committed to working with statutory partners in planning for the dispersal and accommodation of asylum seekers and funds Strategic Migration Partnerships to facilitate and enable that engagement, including in Wales. In addition, the Home Office has, in April this year, established monthly regional governance forums to plan for the dispersal of asylum seekers and consider the impact on statutory and other services.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has entered into contracts with any private sector organisations to (a) provide and (b) arrange specialist mental health support for asylum seekers accommodated by her Department in Wales.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government is under a legal obligation to provide support to all asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.
Asylum seekers have access to free NHS care, which includes mental health services. In addition, asylum seekers can access Migrant Help, who the Home Office contract to provide advice and guidance to asylum seekers, should they have an issue and for signposting to health and welfare services.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the contractual requirements with private sector organisations are on the (a) length and (b) nature of support provided to asylum seekers accommodated by the Home Office in Wales.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office has a statutory obligation to house and financially support destitute asylum seekers whilst we consider their claim for protection and any support provided will last until their asylum claim is full determined. Support provided by our accommodation providers therefore lasts until we inform them that a claim is fully determined and that the Home Office ceases support.
We expect the highest standards from our contractors and providers which are monitored closely to ensure they continue to meet these standards. The standards of accommodation and service are set within Asylum Accommodation & Support Contracts (AASC) and represent a higher standard of quality than the preceding COMPASS contracts. The details of our contract with the private sector provider of asylum support in Wales can be found online at:
AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder