Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of giving asylum seekers the ability to claim asylum at British embassies across the globe.

The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.

However, there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, we are not bound to consider asylum claims in British Embassies or High Commissions from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here. Opening an opportunity to claim asylum would also make the operation of these locations impractical if large numbers sought to do so.

Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.

We already welcome vulnerable people in need of protection to the UK through our resettlement schemes. These schemes have provided safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the UK. Through these routes we have resettled more refugees than any EU country since 2015. They include the UK Resettlement Scheme, the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, and the Nationality and Borders Bill will establish in law safe and legal routes.