Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of provisions in Section 32 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 on LGBTQI+ people in the asylum system.

Each asylum claim lodged in the UK is considered in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The cornerstone of the asylum consideration process remains the requirement to establish a well-founded fear of persecution for a reason set out in Article 1(A)(2) of the Refugee Convention. No one who is found to be at risk of serious harm, including on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, will be returned to their country of origin.

The Home Office remains committed to delivering an asylum system that is responsive to all forms of persecution including those based on sexuality or gender identity.