Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the requirement for those on transit visas to leave the UK before applying for a Skilled Worker Visa on the hire of foreign nationals as fishing crew members.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The English language requirements for all Skilled Workers are fundamental to successful integration into British society, helping migrants to participate in community life and work. As the Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement it is right to assess the ability of migrants to understand both written and spoken English.
The requirement to speak basic English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system, as set out in our 2019 manifesto and HM Government’s original policy statement published on 19 February 2020. The ability to speak “lower intermediate English” – understanding the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. – is not a high standard but is essential to support overseas workers and their families live and work in the UK and to integrate.
Considering the fishing industry in particular, English language ability within busy environments and areas with potentially lethal equipment is also important to fulfil health and safety requirements.
Migrant workers who do not have a good command of English are more likely to be heavily dependent on their employer, less able to understand their rights, and less able to leave their employer and seek another job. Relaxing the English language requirement would increase the risk of exploitation in an industry where this is already a widely reported concern.
It is the Government’s position that if a foreign national is coming to work within UK territorial waters (12 nautical miles), or the UK landmass, then they will need to apply for the appropriate permission to do so, this is most likely a Skilled Worker visa. Conversely, if they are working outside of the 12 nautical miles then a Skilled Worker visa is not required.
Transit visas are a type of visit visa. For any visit visa to be granted, the person must intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit, therefore it is not possible to switch into a Skilled Worker visa or any other immigration route without first doing so.
English language ability is a longstanding requirement for skilled work visas route. The fishing industry has historically recruited workers from outside the EEA and any company following the rules would therefore be used to employing migrants who meet these requirements and delays should not occur.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the suitability of the English language requirements of the Skilled Worker visa for workers who apply in order to work as members of fishing crews in the UK.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The English language requirements for all Skilled Workers are fundamental to successful integration into British society, helping migrants to participate in community life and work. As the Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement it is right to assess the ability of migrants to understand both written and spoken English.
The requirement to speak basic English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system, as set out in our 2019 manifesto and HM Government’s original policy statement published on 19 February 2020. The ability to speak “lower intermediate English” – understanding the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. – is not a high standard but is essential to support overseas workers and their families live and work in the UK and to integrate.
Considering the fishing industry in particular, English language ability within busy environments and areas with potentially lethal equipment is also important to fulfil health and safety requirements.
Migrant workers who do not have a good command of English are more likely to be heavily dependent on their employer, less able to understand their rights, and less able to leave their employer and seek another job. Relaxing the English language requirement would increase the risk of exploitation in an industry where this is already a widely reported concern.
It is the Government’s position that if a foreign national is coming to work within UK territorial waters (12 nautical miles), or the UK landmass, then they will need to apply for the appropriate permission to do so, this is most likely a Skilled Worker visa. Conversely, if they are working outside of the 12 nautical miles then a Skilled Worker visa is not required.
Transit visas are a type of visit visa. For any visit visa to be granted, the person must intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit, therefore it is not possible to switch into a Skilled Worker visa or any other immigration route without first doing so.
English language ability is a longstanding requirement for skilled work visas route. The fishing industry has historically recruited workers from outside the EEA and any company following the rules would therefore be used to employing migrants who meet these requirements and delays should not occur.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the English language requirements of the Skilled Worker visa on the hire foreign nationals as fishing crew members.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The English language requirements for all Skilled Workers are fundamental to successful integration into British society, helping migrants to participate in community life and work. As the Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement it is right to assess the ability of migrants to understand both written and spoken English.
The requirement to speak basic English is a core principle of the points-based immigration system, as set out in our 2019 manifesto and HM Government’s original policy statement published on 19 February 2020. The ability to speak “lower intermediate English” – understanding the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. – is not a high standard but is essential to support overseas workers and their families live and work in the UK and to integrate.
Considering the fishing industry in particular, English language ability within busy environments and areas with potentially lethal equipment is also important to fulfil health and safety requirements.
Migrant workers who do not have a good command of English are more likely to be heavily dependent on their employer, less able to understand their rights, and less able to leave their employer and seek another job. Relaxing the English language requirement would increase the risk of exploitation in an industry where this is already a widely reported concern.
It is the Government’s position that if a foreign national is coming to work within UK territorial waters (12 nautical miles), or the UK landmass, then they will need to apply for the appropriate permission to do so, this is most likely a Skilled Worker visa. Conversely, if they are working outside of the 12 nautical miles then a Skilled Worker visa is not required.
Transit visas are a type of visit visa. For any visit visa to be granted, the person must intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit, therefore it is not possible to switch into a Skilled Worker visa or any other immigration route without first doing so.
English language ability is a longstanding requirement for skilled work visas route. The fishing industry has historically recruited workers from outside the EEA and any company following the rules would therefore be used to employing migrants who meet these requirements and delays should not occur.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will publish the guidance on its proposed policy to reclassify modern slavery as an illegal immigration issue.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
This Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and in the UK we have a world-leading response.
There are close links between modern slavery and migration; about two thirds of potential victims are foreign nationals, and often potential victims have ongoing engagement with the immigration system.
This is not a reclassification. Modern Slavery is a harmful and exploitative crime which Home Office ministers continue to tackle and support victims.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of her Department's record keeping for the (a) Ukraine Family Visa Scheme and (b) Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
Answered by Kevin Foster
All applications made under Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family Scheme are recorded on Home Office systems.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the trends in the level of disability hate crime in Wales in the last three years.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
All forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable. We have a robust legislative framework to respond to hate crimes which target race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity, and the Hate Crime Action Plan has improved the response to all forms of hate crime, including disability hate crime.
Increases in police recorded hate crime are generally driven by improvements in crime recording and a better indication of what constitutes a hate crime. Recorded disability hate crime has increased in both Wales and England over the past three years.
This may be due to a genuine increase in these crimes, or due to police force improvements in their recording of offences and identification of what constitutes hate crime.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment has she made of the adequacy of financial support available to participants in the Ukraine Family Scheme compared to those participating in the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Ukrainian nationals coming to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme are given the same access to work, benefits and public services as those coming here under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, as laid down in Appendix Ukraine to the Immigration Rules, details of which can be found at:
Those sponsoring under the Ukraine Family Scheme are not required to provide accommodation. Therefore, the Government has not extended the £350 per month ‘thank you’ payment offered to those providing a home to refugees arriving in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine and Super Sponsor Schemes.
Sponsoring family members able to provide appropriate accommodation can choose to sponsor their family members under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme or Super Sponsor Schemes in order to become eligible for the ‘thank you’ payment.