Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the costs of deporting migrants through return hubs.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Prime Minister has been clear since entering government that we need to have innovative and bold solutions to reduce the burden of migration on UK taxpayers. It would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of ongoing negotiations and further details will be released in due course. Our guiding principle will always be something that is workable and meets international obligations.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria her Department will use to designate a country as safe.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The asylum and returns policy statement sets out the intention to deal swiftly with unmeritorious protection claims that are made by nationals of manifestly safe countries in an attempt to frustrate their removal. In this context, an unmeritorious claim is one which is so lacking in merit that it can be appropriately considered following a single interview.
This policy does not relate to any designation of a specific country as manifestly safe, but rather a holistic assessment of whether there is a basis on which a prolonged assessment of a claim is required, for example through an additional interview. This is distinct from existing legislative provisions (under s94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002) which allow all or part of a country to be designated as safe, for the purposes of assessing whether a claim should be certified as clearly unfounded.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of supporting work asylum seekers who do not qualify for benefits on local authority spending.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Asylum seekers are not eligible for mainstream benefits (such as universal credit) which are available to British citizens and other permanent residents. However, if they would otherwise be destitute, the Home Office currently has a legal duty to offer support, which generally consist of providing accommodation and a cash allowance to cover their essential living needs.
We will be revoking that duty, restoring a discretionary power for the Home Office to offer support, as previously provided under UK law.
We will deny support to those who are able to support themselves, or have deliberately made themselves destitute. We will remove support from those who fail to comply with UK law or conditions of support.
Details of how eligibility considerations will apply will be set out in published guidance in due course.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how does her department define an "unmeritous" asylum claim.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The asylum and returns policy statement sets out the intention to deal swiftly with unmeritorious protection claims that are made by nationals of manifestly safe countries in an attempt to frustrate their removal. In this context, an unmeritorious claim is one which is so lacking in merit that it can be appropriately considered following a single interview.
This policy does not relate to any designation of a specific country as manifestly safe, but rather a holistic assessment of whether there is a basis on which a prolonged assessment of a claim is required, for example through an additional interview. This is distinct from existing legislative provisions (under s94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002) which allow all or part of a country to be designated as safe, for the purposes of assessing whether a claim should be certified as clearly unfounded.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her department's policy paper entitled Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, updated on 20 November 2025, what assessment has her department made of the risks to asylum seekers with no state support from exploitation by organised crime.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Asylum seekers are not eligible for mainstream benefits (such as universal credit) which are available to British citizens and other permanent residents. However, if they would otherwise be destitute, the Home Office currently has a legal duty to offer support, which generally consist of providing accommodation and a cash allowance to cover their essential living needs.
We will be revoking that duty, restoring a discretionary power for the Home Office to offer support, as previously provided under UK law.
We will deny support to those who are able to support themselves, or have deliberately made themselves destitute. We will remove support from those who fail to comply with UK law or conditions of support.
Details of how eligibility considerations will apply will be set out in published guidance in due course.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her department's policy paper entitled Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, updated on 20 November 2025, who will hold the discretionary power to decide if asylum seekers can receive benefits.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Asylum seekers are not eligible for mainstream benefits (such as universal credit) which are available to British citizens and other permanent residents. However, if they would otherwise be destitute, the Home Office currently has a legal duty to offer support, which generally consist of providing accommodation and a cash allowance to cover their essential living needs.
We will be revoking that duty, restoring a discretionary power for the Home Office to offer support, as previously provided under UK law.
We will deny support to those who are able to support themselves, or have deliberately made themselves destitute. We will remove support from those who fail to comply with UK law or conditions of support.
Details of how eligibility considerations will apply will be set out in published guidance in due course.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her department's policy paper entitled Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, updated on 20 November 2025, what process will her department use to define "vulnerable groups".
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The earned settlement consultation launched on 20 November 2025.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made with the Ministry of Justice of the capacity of the legal system to offer early legal advice to asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Reforms to the appeals system, including the development of a new independent appeals body will help asylum seekers have access to justice, overcome delays and restore public confidence. Early legal advice will be embedded as a core part of these reforms.
We will work closely with the Ministry of Justice to understand and manage the justice impacts of all proposals, including ensuring there is sufficient capacity to deliver early legal advice.
Further details on these reforms will be set out in due course.