Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were rejected under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (a) Pathway 1, (b) Pathway 2 and (c) Pathway 3 in each month since August 2021.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) brings together existing Afghan resettlement schemes into a single, efficient pipeline. Further information about this is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-resettlement-programme.
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not application based. Eligible people are prioritised and referred for resettlement under its 3 pathways, and further information about the scheme can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme.
Whilst the Home Office has not published the specific information requested, our latest Afghan resettlement operational data publication (found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data) shows that since the end of Op Pitting (in August 2021) up until the end of December 2024 we have welcomed around 34,940 people to safety from Afghanistan and the region. This includes 31,944 individuals who have been resettled under the ARP.*
The operational data publication also shows that we have so far granted Indefinite Leave to Remain to:
Further statistics on individuals resettled or relocated under the Afghan schemes are available in the latest Immigration System Statistics release published on 27 February 2025. This can be accessed on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were approved under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (a) Pathway 1, (b) Pathway 2 and (c) Pathway 3 in each month since August 2021.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) brings together existing Afghan resettlement schemes into a single, efficient pipeline. Further information about this is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-resettlement-programme.
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not application based. Eligible people are prioritised and referred for resettlement under its 3 pathways, and further information about the scheme can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme.
Whilst the Home Office has not published the specific information requested, our latest Afghan resettlement operational data publication (found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data) shows that since the end of Op Pitting (in August 2021) up until the end of December 2024 we have welcomed around 34,940 people to safety from Afghanistan and the region. This includes 31,944 individuals who have been resettled under the ARP.*
The operational data publication also shows that we have so far granted Indefinite Leave to Remain to:
Further statistics on individuals resettled or relocated under the Afghan schemes are available in the latest Immigration System Statistics release published on 27 February 2025. This can be accessed on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were classed as under consideration in the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (a) Pathway 1, (b) Pathway 2 and (c) Pathway 3 in each month since August 2021.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) brings together existing Afghan resettlement schemes into a single, efficient pipeline. Further information about this is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-resettlement-programme.
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not application based. Eligible people are prioritised and referred for resettlement under its 3 pathways, and further information about the scheme can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme.
Whilst the Home Office has not published the specific information requested, our latest Afghan resettlement operational data publication (found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data) shows that since the end of Op Pitting (in August 2021) up until the end of December 2024 we have welcomed around 34,940 people to safety from Afghanistan and the region. This includes 31,944 individuals who have been resettled under the ARP.*
The operational data publication also shows that we have so far granted Indefinite Leave to Remain to:
Further statistics on individuals resettled or relocated under the Afghan schemes are available in the latest Immigration System Statistics release published on 27 February 2025. This can be accessed on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were closed under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (a) Pathway 1, (b) Pathway 2 and (c) Pathway 3 in each month since August 2021.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) brings together existing Afghan resettlement schemes into a single, efficient pipeline. Further information about this is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-resettlement-programme.
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not application based. Eligible people are prioritised and referred for resettlement under its 3 pathways, and further information about the scheme can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme.
Whilst the Home Office has not published the specific information requested, our latest Afghan resettlement operational data publication (found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data) shows that since the end of Op Pitting (in August 2021) up until the end of December 2024 we have welcomed around 34,940 people to safety from Afghanistan and the region. This includes 31,944 individuals who have been resettled under the ARP.*
The operational data publication also shows that we have so far granted Indefinite Leave to Remain to:
Further statistics on individuals resettled or relocated under the Afghan schemes are available in the latest Immigration System Statistics release published on 27 February 2025. This can be accessed on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were opened under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (a) Pathway 1, (b) Pathway 2 and (c) Pathway 3 in each month since August 2021.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) brings together existing Afghan resettlement schemes into a single, efficient pipeline. Further information about this is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-resettlement-programme.
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not application based. Eligible people are prioritised and referred for resettlement under its 3 pathways, and further information about the scheme can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme.
Whilst the Home Office has not published the specific information requested, our latest Afghan resettlement operational data publication (found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data) shows that since the end of Op Pitting (in August 2021) up until the end of December 2024 we have welcomed around 34,940 people to safety from Afghanistan and the region. This includes 31,944 individuals who have been resettled under the ARP.*
The operational data publication also shows that we have so far granted Indefinite Leave to Remain to:
Further statistics on individuals resettled or relocated under the Afghan schemes are available in the latest Immigration System Statistics release published on 27 February 2025. This can be accessed on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her answer of 12 September 2024 to Question 4167 on Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority: Staff, how many in-person inspections were carried out by GLAA officers on farms in Scotland in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The GLAA has conducted, at minimum, the following number of inspections on farms in Scotland over the last 5 years:
These figures include compliance and enforcement inspections, as well as joint inspections with other enforcement bodies, such as UKVI.
In England and Wales, the GLAA has responsibilities to investigate reports of Modern Slavery. In Scotland, the primacy for this lies with Police Scotland but the GLAA support this activity to target, dismantle and disrupt serious and organised crime.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
As the Hon Member will be aware the Migration Advisory Committee published a Review of the Seasonal Worker Visa on 16 July.
The Government will carefully consider the MAC’s recommendations and will provide a detailed response in due course.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting times were for processing applications for certificates of sponsorship for skilled workers in each month from November 2023 to April 2024.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The Home Office does not routinely publish data on these matters; however, we have recently deployed an IT change which introduces a new compulsory field for required mandatory information which enables defined certificate of sponsorship applications to move more expediently through the system.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the potential cost to businesses of the reforms to skilled worker visas.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
As set out in the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the Statement of Changes, laid on 14 March (HC 590), qualitative details on the impact of these changes on the welfare of the UK resident population, as well as quantitative impacts on business, charities, voluntary bodies and the public sector, have been considered.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate with Cabinet colleagues of the number of Afghans in Pakistan who are eligible for reunification with family members resident in the UK under the (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan citizens resettlement scheme.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The Government remains committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan. This includes eligible immediate family members of those being resettled under both the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Public data on the number of Afghans in Pakistan who are eligible to join family members already resettled under both the ARAP and ACRS is unavailable. However; the latest published statistics, summarised at Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), show that, at the end of December 2023, 14,423 people have been relocated to the UK under the ARAP so far, and a further 10,520 have been relocated under ACRS.