Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance UK Visas and Immigration has issued to companies which operate overseas visa application centres on the phased reopening of those centres.
Answered by Kevin Foster
UKVI continues to work closely with our commercial partners, who operate our overseas visa application centre network, to ensure they abide by the local social distancing measures in the countries they operate. Our commercial partners have given UKVI detailed assurances on the steps they have taken, prior to reopening, which are designed to keep their staff and visa customers safe. Where possible, UKVI staff have been visiting the application centres as an added layer of assurance our commercial partners are following appropriate procedures. Information for customers on these arrangements is provided on the commercial partner webpages for individual locations, signposted from gov.uk and highlighted as part of the visa application process customers follow.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish a response to her Department’s call for evidence on abuse and violence towards shopworkers.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government recognises the damaging impact that violence and abuse can have on victims, businesses, and the wider community; and we are committed to tackling this issue.
We launched a call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shop staff to help strengthen our understanding of the scale and extent of the issue. During the Westminster Hall debate on ‘Protection of retail workers’, which took place on 11 February, I committed to publishing the Government’s response by the end of March 2020. Unfortunately, given the current circumstances, the Government must focus its communications on tackling COVID-19. Therefore, the publication of the Government’s response is delayed. I am, however, keen to publish it as soon as I am able.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund allocated to the UK was spent on (a) removal, (b) resettlement and (c) asylum seeker and refugee integration in (i) 2014-15, (ii) 2015-16, (iii) 2016-17, (iv) 2017-18 and (v) 2018-19.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) UK Responsible Authority (UKRA) manage AMIF funds in the UK. The total amount allocated to the UK from AMIF is £518.5m.
The UKRA operates according to AMIF years YYYY and YYYY +1 rather than n (current year), rather than the financial year as set out in the question. Therefore, this response includes expenditure claimed from the EU in the AMIF period covered as set out in the header.
Furthermore, the UK does not include asylum seekers in integration activities as this is not appropriate until their status has been settled. In addition, the ‘Integration’ objective of AMIF applies to Third Country Nationals, including refugees. The UKRA has projects that focus on both, and as such it is not feasible to differentiate expenditure between that on ‘refugees’ and ‘TCNs’, so the response relates to all AMIF expenditure on Integration.
Also included in the UK AMIF allocation is an amount for a ‘Resettlement Pledge’ where the UK can claim an amount for resettling refugees from the EU. Depending on the type of case, figures for this have also been included below.
Any expenditure incurred in 2014-15 was recorded in the 2015-16 accounts.
2015-16 (Expenditure incurred 01/01/14 – 15/10/16)
(a) removal
Actual spend - £53,480,997.80
(b) resettlement
Actual spend - £0
Resettlement pledge - £19,130,434.80
(c) asylum seeker and refugee integration
Actual spend - £0
2016-17 (Expenditure incurred 16/10/16 – 15/10/17)
(a) removal
Actual spend - £10,877,122.00
(b) resettlement
Actual spend - £0
Resettlement pledge - £18,086,956.52
(c) asylum seeker and refugee integration
Actual spend - £3,052,638.95
2017-18 (Expenditure incurred 16/10/17 – 15/10/18)
(a) removal
Actual spend - £25,054,327.61
(b) resettlement
Actual spend - £1,863,468.65
Resettlement pledge - £0
(c) asylum seeker and refugee integration
Actual spend - £6,873,834.41
2018-19 (Expenditure incurred 16/10/18 – 15/10/19)
(a) removal
Actual spend - £0
(b) resettlement
Actual spend - £0
Resettlement pledge - £66,782,608.69
(c) asylum seeker and refugee integration
Actual spend - £0
The Home Office is currently assessing an alternative UK programme to the AMIF and this will form part of spending review discussions.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she will take to replace the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) UK Responsible Authority (UKRA) manage AMIF funds in the UK. The total amount allocated to the UK from AMIF is £518.5m.
The UKRA operates according to AMIF years YYYY and YYYY +1 rather than n (current year), rather than the financial year as set out in the question. Therefore, this response includes expenditure claimed from the EU in the AMIF period covered as set out in the header.
Furthermore, the UK does not include asylum seekers in integration activities as this is not appropriate until their status has been settled. In addition, the ‘Integration’ objective of AMIF applies to Third Country Nationals, including refugees. The UKRA has projects that focus on both, and as such it is not feasible to differentiate expenditure between that on ‘refugees’ and ‘TCNs’, so the response relates to all AMIF expenditure on Integration.
Also included in the UK AMIF allocation is an amount for a ‘Resettlement Pledge’ where the UK can claim an amount for resettling refugees from the EU. Depending on the type of case, figures for this have also been included below.
Any expenditure incurred in 2014-15 was recorded in the 2015-16 accounts.
2015-16 (Expenditure incurred 01/01/14 – 15/10/16)
(a) removal
Actual spend - £53,480,997.80
(b) resettlement
Actual spend - £0
Resettlement pledge - £19,130,434.80
(c) asylum seeker and refugee integration
Actual spend - £0
2016-17 (Expenditure incurred 16/10/16 – 15/10/17)
(a) removal
Actual spend - £10,877,122.00
(b) resettlement
Actual spend - £0
Resettlement pledge - £18,086,956.52
(c) asylum seeker and refugee integration
Actual spend - £3,052,638.95
2017-18 (Expenditure incurred 16/10/17 – 15/10/18)
(a) removal
Actual spend - £25,054,327.61
(b) resettlement
Actual spend - £1,863,468.65
Resettlement pledge - £0
(c) asylum seeker and refugee integration
Actual spend - £6,873,834.41
2018-19 (Expenditure incurred 16/10/18 – 15/10/19)
(a) removal
Actual spend - £0
(b) resettlement
Actual spend - £0
Resettlement pledge - £66,782,608.69
(c) asylum seeker and refugee integration
Actual spend - £0
The Home Office is currently assessing an alternative UK programme to the AMIF and this will form part of spending review discussions.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in her Department have formal arrangements to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
In line with wider Government guidance on social distancing those Home Office employees whose work can be done from home have been asked to work from home during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The number of employees currently doing so is not collated centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been extradited from the UK to Indonesia for (a) violent crimes and (b) non-violent crimes in each year since 2003.
Answered by James Brokenshire
There have been no extraditions from the UK to Indonesia between 1 January 2003 and 13 February 2020 for either violent or non-violent crimes.
As any request for extradition made to Scotland or issued by Scotland would be sent or received by the Crown Office directly, therefore the Home Office does not hold these figures.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average cost to her Department was of administering applications for (a) naturalisation (b) registration to become a British citizen in each year since 2015.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The estimated average cost of processing nationality naturalisation and registration applications in each year since 2015 is detailed within the appropriate publications below:
Naturalisation
2015/16
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/768/pdfs/uksiem_20150768_en.pdf
2016/17
2017/18
Registration
2015/16
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/768/pdfs/uksiem_20150768_en.pdf
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for naturalisation to become a British citizen were (a) rejected on the grounds that the applicant was made bankrupt within 10 years of making the application and (b) accepted despite the applicant being bankrupt within 10 years of making the application in each year since 2015.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
No statistical information is available showing how many applications for British citizenship have been rejected or accepted where the applicant had been made bankrupt.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were resettled in (a) South Lanarkshire Council area and (b) Scotland under the Dubs amendment in the last 12 months.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
In accordance with the Immigration Act 2016 the Government conducted a comprehensive consultation with local authorities across the UK in order to assess capacity for the care of unaccompanied children. On 13 May 2016, the then Immigration Minister wrote to all local authorities to provide an update on the launch of the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) and to encourage local authorities to participate in all schemes designed for children. On 7 June 2016, the then Immigration Minister, the Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families and the then Minister with responsibility for Syrian Refugees attended a national launch event in London which was attended by local authorities from across the UK. This was followed by regional events in England and in Scotland and Wales.
On 8 September last year, I wrote to all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland asking them to confirm how many places they could offer to accommodate unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Home Office officials also maintained an ongoing dialogue with individual local authorities and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships throughout.
In 2016 over 900 unaccompanied asylums seeking children were transferred to the UK, of which over 750 have been transferred from France, of which over 200 came under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.
This is a voluntary scheme whereby local authorities sign up to accept unaccompanied asylum seeking children on a voluntary basis.
We asked local authorities to consider carefully whether they have the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure the appropriate care of these unaccompanied children before participating in the NTS.We estimate that at least 50 of the family reunion cases transferred from France as part of the Calais clearance will require a local authority placement in cases where the family reunion does not work out.We estimate that at least 50 of the family reunion cases transferred from France as part of the Calais clearance will require a local authority placement in cases where the family reunion does not work out.
Every region in England is participating in the NTS and we are working very closely with local authorities in Scotland and Wales who have also responded positively
We are grateful for to local authorities across the UK, including South Lanarkshire, for coming forward to support unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
It is for individual local authorities to decide the number of children they are able to accommodate but we continue to work with those not currently participating in the NTS to support them to do so at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with South Lanarkshire Council on that area's capacity for resettling unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
In accordance with the Immigration Act 2016 the Government conducted a comprehensive consultation with local authorities across the UK in order to assess capacity for the care of unaccompanied children. On 13 May 2016, the then Immigration Minister wrote to all local authorities to provide an update on the launch of the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) and to encourage local authorities to participate in all schemes designed for children. On 7 June 2016, the then Immigration Minister, the Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families and the then Minister with responsibility for Syrian Refugees attended a national launch event in London which was attended by local authorities from across the UK. This was followed by regional events in England and in Scotland and Wales.
On 8 September last year, I wrote to all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland asking them to confirm how many places they could offer to accommodate unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Home Office officials also maintained an ongoing dialogue with individual local authorities and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships throughout.
In 2016 over 900 unaccompanied asylums seeking children were transferred to the UK, of which over 750 have been transferred from France, of which over 200 came under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.
This is a voluntary scheme whereby local authorities sign up to accept unaccompanied asylum seeking children on a voluntary basis.
We asked local authorities to consider carefully whether they have the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure the appropriate care of these unaccompanied children before participating in the NTS.We estimate that at least 50 of the family reunion cases transferred from France as part of the Calais clearance will require a local authority placement in cases where the family reunion does not work out.We estimate that at least 50 of the family reunion cases transferred from France as part of the Calais clearance will require a local authority placement in cases where the family reunion does not work out.
Every region in England is participating in the NTS and we are working very closely with local authorities in Scotland and Wales who have also responded positively
We are grateful for to local authorities across the UK, including South Lanarkshire, for coming forward to support unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
It is for individual local authorities to decide the number of children they are able to accommodate but we continue to work with those not currently participating in the NTS to support them to do so at the earliest opportunity.