Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether EU citizens who were refused entry at the border to the UK in 2023 will be able to reapply to travel to the UK.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Border Force does not hold the data to questions 1 and 2 in an easily accessible format. The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.
The Home Office publishes statistics on passengers refused entry at the border, by nationality, in table Stp_D01 of the ‘Passengers refused entry at the border detailed datasets’ as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The latest data relates to the end of September 2023.
Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data up to the end of December 2023 will be published on 29 February 2024.
You asked whether EU citizens refused entry at the UK border in 2023 will be able to reapply to travel to the UK. Applications for permission to enter at the border are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the immigration rules. EU citizens should ensure they are properly documented for the purpose they are seeking to enter and check whether they need a visa before they travel. Guidance is available at www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
EU citizens not holding required entry clearance must be refused entry under paragraphs 9.14.1 of Part 9 of the Immigration Rules – but they may apply for clearance and seek entry after having obtained the required clearance.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish (a) parental leave policies and (b) flexible working policies which apply to special constables.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises and values the professionalism, dedication and sacrifice shown by special constables in their work, alongside other policing volunteers. The Home Office continues to work closely with policing partners, particularly the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing on the Citizens in Policing Programme and the National Strategy for the Special Constabulary. These partnerships support the development of a national approach to the attraction, retention and training of special constables
There are no plans to publish national parental leave policies and flexible working policies which apply to special constables. It is a matter for each police force to decide how best to support and reward special constables in the form of allowances, expenses or other benefits, as part of their retention and attraction plans. National guidance is set by the College of Policing and Home Office on expenses and allowance rates for special constables - Special constables: expense and allowance rates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to bring section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 into force.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The timescales for commencing the new Section 9 offence of interference with access to, or provision of, abortion services will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons asylum accommodation providers are required to inform her Department of warning letters they have issued to tenants.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Asylum seekers are clearly advised of the expectations the Home Office and our providers have for them to behave responsibly while they are accommodated in our properties and not to engage in any form of criminal activity.
All incidents are reported to the Home Office immediately by the providers which is a contractual requirement. We then work with the provider to put additional measures in place, if required. This will include working with other statutory bodies including the Police to investigate any potential criminal activities.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether warning letters sent to her Department by asylum accommodation providers are considered during the asylum application process.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Warning letters are provided where there has been a breach in the conditions of asylum support. They are not taken into consideration during the substantive asylum application process because they bear no relevance to the substance of the claim.
Asylum support is provided on the basis that a supported person and any dependants they have adhere to the terms and conditions attached to it. A breach of the conditions of support may also lead an early suspension or discontinuation of support depending on the severity of the breach. Full details of the conditions of support can be found in the policy guidance on gov.uk. Conditions of support: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how any people (a) applied for and (b) were granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK as a bereaved partner in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021, (iii) 2022 and (iv) 2023 to date.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Due to data quality issues, data on individuals granted indefinite leave as a bereaved partner from 2021 and later cannot currently be provided. We intend to recommence the publication of these numbers once these issues have been resolved.
In 2020, 92 people were granted of indefinite leave as a bereaved partner; 84 wives and 8 husbands. Corresponding information on applications is not available.
The Home Office publishes data on settlement grants in the Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The available data relates to grants of indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner up to 2020 and are published in table Se_04 of the Settlement data tables.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to recommence the publication of the number of individuals granted indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner as part of its quarterly statistics releases.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Due to data quality issues, data on individuals granted indefinite leave as a bereaved partner from 2021 and later cannot currently be provided. We intend to recommence the publication of these numbers once these issues have been resolved.
In 2020, 92 people were granted of indefinite leave as a bereaved partner; 84 wives and 8 husbands. Corresponding information on applications is not available.
The Home Office publishes data on settlement grants in the Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The available data relates to grants of indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner up to 2020 and are published in table Se_04 of the Settlement data tables.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of people eligible for the Bereaved Partner Concession who have been unable to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain due to the cost of the application in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office has not made any assessment of the number of people who are eligible for the Bereaved Partner Concession but are unable to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain due to the cost.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which public bodies have (a) statutory responsibility for safeguarding residents and (b) power to inspect safeguarding provisions in asylum accommodation hotels.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. We have an important role to play in identifying those at risk and sharing relevant information with statutory agencies so they can fulfil their legal responsibilities.
The statutory agencies responsible for safeguarding adults and children are local authorities, health care providers and the police.
The Home Office has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children as detailed in Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, whether she has plans to (a) revoke, (b) replace or (c) retain the Refugee or Person in Need of International Protection (Qualification) Regulations.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Refugee or Persons in Need of International Protection Regulations 2006 were revoked by Section 30 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. Many of the key concepts of the Refugee Convention are now defined in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, ensuring Home Office decision-makers and the courts alike have the clarity they require to consistently apply them in the UK asylum system.