Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what evidential basis does her Department use when assessing the safety of return to (a) Kyiv City, (b) Lvivska Oblast and (c) other regions of western Ukraine.

All asylum and human rights claims, including those from Ukrainian nationals, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Internal relocation is considered under Paragraph 339O of the Immigration Rules. Decision makers must consider whether the claimant would face a well-founded fear of persecution in the place of relocation, and, if not, whether it is reasonable to expect them to travel to, and stay, there.

Our guidance for considering asylum claims, which includes a section on internal relocation, is available on GOV.UK at: Assessing credibility and refugee status: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. Our assessment of the situation in Ukraine is set out in the relevant Country Policy and Information Notes (CPINs) which are available on GOV.UK at. Ukraine: country policy and information notes - GOV.UK

The CPINs for Ukraine are based on evidence taken from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The evidence base for assessing safety of return is available in the footnotes and bibliography of the CPINs.

Asylum grant rates can vary for a number of reasons, including the protection needs of those who claim asylum in the UK. They can also be affected by operational resourcing and policy decisions, such as changes to the types of cases prioritised for decisions.