Found: after Brexit’ (NIHRC, 2023); Alison Harvey, ‘Article 2 of the Windsor Framework and the rights of refugees

Found: new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/migrant-exploitation-protection-visa 5 https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on engaging with the government of Bangladesh on the matter of the Rohingya people in Bangladesh.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As a leading donor to the Rohingya refugee response, the UK Government has provided over £391 million in Bangladesh to the Rohingya and host communities since 2017. We are committed to supporting the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh including ongoing support to protection services. Our High Commissioner in Dhaka continues to raise this issue with the Interim Government in Bangladesh. We will continue to work closely with UN agencies to provide basic services to Rohingya refugees while they remain in Bangladesh. Despite escalating conflict and ongoing access challenges, we are supporting those most in need through agile local partners.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to the recovery, stabilisation and reconstruction of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as soon as the context allows. Planning for that must start now. The UK is clear: this must be Palestinian-led and support a political process towards a two-state solution. The UK's humanitarian aid and technical assistance, including through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and to the Palestinian Authority, is helping to support Gaza and prepare for that next phase. But the scale of the challenge is large. According to a UN/World Bank assessment earlier this year, reconstruction costs will exceed $18.5 billion. The UK is therefore committed to working with international partners, other donors, the UN, World Bank and private sector to begin planning for how we can meet this challenge.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he was made aware that nine staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) may have been involved in the attack on Israel of 7 October 2023 (a) during his discussion with UN Secretary-General Guterres and (b) prior to his decision to reinstate funding to UNRWA.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In January, the UK paused funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) following allegations that 19 staff were involved in the 7 October Hamas attack.

Catherine Colonna conducted an independent review that found the existing UNRWA framework was "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. The Foreign Secretary called the UN Secretary-General on 18 July to discuss funding to UNRWA. He then announced resumption of funding to UNRWA on 19 July. The UN's Office of Internal Services Oversight (OIOS) led an investigation into the specific allegations against individual staff members. On 5 August, OIOS findings concluded that nine members of UNRWA may have been involved in the atrocities. We welcome UNRWA's action to terminate the contracts of these individuals.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 1 February 2024 on Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy Scheme Update, HCWS233, whether he plans to investigate the reasons for the inconsistent application of ARAP criteria for members of (a) CF333 and (b) ATF444.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I am deeply concerned that many members of CF333 and ATF444 (the Triples) - our friends and allies - who should be eligible for ARAP remain in grave circumstances. As such, my clear focus is getting the Triples Review back on track and bringing all those individuals receiving overturned decisions to safety in the UK.

I have been working closely with officials since my Ministerial appointment to put in place the necessary conditions to get this right and ensure that the ARAP criteria are applied consistently across all applications in scope.

I fully intend to update the House on the review as soon as possible.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on a decision regarding the most vulnerable Tamil refugees and migrants in the British Indian Territory of Diego Garcia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working closely with relevant departments and BIOT Administration to respond to the health and welfare needs of all the migrants present in Diego Garcia.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that people who have recently acquired refugee status do not experience homelessness after leaving asylum accommodation.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Individuals granted asylum have access to the labour market and to mainstream services that support their integration, including benefits and healthcare. We are working across Government to ensure these services meet the needs of all newly granted refugees.

Migrant Help or their partner organisation support all individuals when they receive a decision on their asylum claim.  This support includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing.

We continue to work with colleagues at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to understand rough sleeping and homelessness pressures within local authorities (LAs). In our continued commitment to supporting LAs and statutory partners in planning for move on, we have shared enhanced data sets (The Place Based Visibility tool - PBVT) which we are continuing to develop further. The PBVT is complimented by the Discontinuation Prediction Tool (DPT) which is shared weekly; this data provides real time view of discontinuation notices likely to be served in the next following 4-6 weeks and the volume of people (including whether it is families, single males or single females) who may seek LA assistance following a positive decision.

Where a decision is made on an individual's asylum claim, the Asylum Accommodation Support Contract (AASC) provider notifies the relevant local authority within 2 days of notification by the Home Office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's criteria are for implementation of an emergency visa scheme for refugees fleeing war zones.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

As the Home Secretary said in her statement to the House of Commons on the 22 July 2024, the UK will always work, along with other states, to help those fleeing war and persecution.

Our global resettlement scheme, the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) is designed in way that allows us to respond in any emergency. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) can refer cases to the UK under their standard resettlement submission categories, based on people’s needs and vulnerabilities. The UNHCR is expertly placed to help the UK authorities to identify and process vulnerable refugees who would benefit from resettlement in the UK and as such, HMG does not intervene in who the UNHCR refer for resettlement to the UK.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what conditions he has placed on the restoring of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary noted in his statement to the House of Commons on 19 July 2024, that the UN had taken the allegations that United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October Hamas terrorist attack seriously. He is reassured after Catherine Colonna's independent review, that UNRWA is ensuring the highest standards of neutrality.

£1 million of the £21 million of new UK funding to UNRWA will support it to implement the management reforms recommended by the review. We continue to monitor UNRWA's implementation. Separately, a Memorandum of Understanding governs UK financial support to UNRWA. The FCDO carries out due diligence assessments and conducts an annual assessment of UK funding to UNRWA.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of spending on international aid on the effectiveness of his Department's steps to tackle (a) hunger and (b) poverty.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are committed to a modernised approach to international development, based on a reconnected Britain, with a strong focus on poverty and hunger. We will reset our relationship with the global South, founded on genuine respect and partnership to support our common interests.

In [my/her] first international visit, [I/the Minister for Development] travelled to Rio to endorse the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. And on 22 August, [I/the Minister for Development] announced an additional £15 million of vital assistance to Sudan, South Sudan and Chad to support vulnerable people forced to flee violence and seek safety. This funding will provide food parcels for 145,000 people in Sudan and around 60,000 vulnerable refugees in Chad. Displaced people in South Sudan will also receive critical nutrition services for children under 5 and their caregivers.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with humanitarian groups and partners in Sudan to provide (a) humanitarian aid and (b) support for (i) food systems and (ii) local agriculture in Sudan; and if he will take steps to increase the level of aid for refugees from Sudan.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working with international partners, including UN agencies, other donors and NGOs, to improve and increase the delivery of aid into Sudan. UK ODA to Sudan nearly doubled this year to £97m, with the vast majority of this funding going to humanitarian assistance. This aid will also provide additional support for food systems and local agriculture. As part of this, I recently announced an additional £15m to increase support for Sudan refugees fleeing to Chad and South Sudan. We will also continue to push for the best data and evidence to inform our policy and programming.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 19 July 2024 on Israel and Gaza, Official Report, column 301, what discussions he has had with representatives of UNRWA on the management reforms recommended in the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024, that will be supported by UK funding.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and Minister Dodds spoke to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, in July. They discussed UNRWA's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality led by Catherine Colonna. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.

Catherine Colonna's report found the existing UNRWA neutrality framework "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all the review's recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's £21 million support to UNRWA this financial year will support implementation of these reforms.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with UNWRA since the publication of the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024 on their vetting procedures.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and Minister Dodds spoke to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, in July. They discussed UNRWA's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality led by Catherine Colonna. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.

Catherine Colonna's report found the existing UNRWA neutrality framework "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all the review's recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's £21 million support to UNRWA this financial year will support implementation of these reforms.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his international counterparts in countries that provide donations to UNRWA on the reforms recommended in the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and Minister Dodds spoke to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, in July. They discussed UNRWA's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality led by Catherine Colonna. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.

Catherine Colonna's report found the existing UNRWA neutrality framework "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all the review's recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's £21 million support to UNRWA this financial year will support implementation of these reforms.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with representatives of UNRWA on the management reforms it has implemented as a result of the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and Minister Dodds spoke to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, in July. They discussed UNRWA's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality led by Catherine Colonna. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.

Catherine Colonna's report found the existing UNRWA neutrality framework "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all the review's recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's £21 million support to UNRWA this financial year will support implementation of these reforms.

Found: This includes minority ethnic groups, refugees and asylum seekers, and people who are LGBT.

Found: and atrocities 28 5.2 Sexual violence in conflict 28 5.3 Attacks on human rights workers 30 5.4 Refugees

Human rights in Palestine

Found: Refugees and asylum seekers: ................................ ................................ .....

Found: Refugees and asylum seekers: Statutory Framework for Claims In Stage One, the decision -maker must

Found: food was available.161 The arrangements for obtaining food at some hotels made some people feel like refugees

Found: Others had come to this country as refugees, in many cases from North Africa, the Middle East, Afghanistan

Found: the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends; facilitate specialist language learning for refugees

Found: for Wellbeing, Economy, Fair Work and Energy, the Scottish Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees

Found: Annual Equality Monitoring Report 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024 17Welcoming asylum seekers and refugees

Found: While a majority of the refugees in the camps are reliant upon humanitarian support, refugees in the

Found: . … According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissio ner for Refugees (UNHCR) and media

Found: Status u nder the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Page 14 of 67 Refugees

Found: There are now about four million Syrian refugees that are worse off, before thi s the Kurds were the

Found: and Indian Penal Code, etc.’155 18.2.2 In September 2021, Al Jazeera reported: ‘Sri Lankan Tamil refugees

Found: organisation. 3.1.3 Those fleeing prosecution or punishment for a criminal offence are not normally refugees

Found: cannot live with their parents for safety reaso ns, children affected by natural disasters, child refugees

Found: Due to natural disasters, wars and conflict, we have seen an increase in the number of refugees with

Found: Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and Minister with special responsibility for Refugees

Found: submitted the names of her remaining family members as individuals they were willing to accept as refugees

Found: additional expenditure that utilises the EC’s Fast-Care initiative to support the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees

Found: Q: How many Gazan refugees could Scotland take do you think?

Found: outreach to inactive and excluded groups – specifically people from minority ethnic communities and refugees

Found: This would include the rights of children, women, minority ethnic communities , disabled people and refugees

Found: a long term health condition or disability • People from a minority ethnic background • Refugees

Found: People with a long term health condition or disability • People from a minority ethnic background • Refugees

Found: ing in the UK and Islands for three years, Irish nationals who are settled in the United Kingdom and refugees

Found: comprehensive emergency package extending the support already provided under the Cohesion’s Action for Refugees

Found: There are also other groups, such as veterans, refugees, children, young people, adults and families

Found: additional expenditure that utilises the EC’s Fast Care initiative to support the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees

Found: Culture; Minister for Culture, Europe & International Development; Minister for Equalities, Migration & Refugees

Found: Number of decisions recorded for Former Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees: FOI release

Found: and Sport Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees

Found: providing 50 humanitarian support , including emergency aid and safe routes for climate migrants or refugees

Found: There are particular concerns around marginalisation of refugees, (refused) asylum -seekers and undocumented

Found: power to ensure Scotland remains a place where everyone can live in safety and security, including refugees

Found: power to ensure Scotland remains a place where everyone can live in safety and security, including refugees

Found: with a long term health condition or disability; • people from a Minority Ethnic background; • refugees

Found: Ethiopia also hosts over 900,000 refugees from neighbouring countries.

Found: This would support longer -term integration and reduce the need for refugees to have to go through additional

Found: He wrote to the Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees on 21 February following the publication

Found: Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills X Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees

Found: Europe & International Development < MinisterforCEID@gov.scot >; Minister for Equalities, Migration & Refugees

Found: provide space for childr en’s activities, coffee mornings and community celebrations, and they welcome refugees

Found: Community Safety Cc: Cabinet Secretary for Justice & Home Affairs; Minister for Equalities, Migration & Refugees

Found: Minister for Parliamentary Business ; Minister for Equalities, Migration & Refugees

Found: Safety and Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development with Special Responsibility for Refugees

Found: confirm that the organisation sent an introductory letter to the Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees

Found: edge of care’; children with a parent/carer in the armed forces; child migrants, asylum seekers and refugees

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for (a) third sector organisations and (b) local authorities to provide support with transport costs for people seeking asylum, in light of the reported cancellation of its pilot scheme for free bus travel for asylum seekers.

Answered by Fairlie, Jim - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity

The Scottish Governments approach to supporting the integration of refugees, people seeking asylum and other forced migrants within Scotland’s communities is set out in the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy published in March 2024.

The Scottish Government does not provide direct funding to third sector organisations or local authorities specifically for the purpose of providing travel support for people seeking asylum.

However, people seeking asylum who are aged 60 or over or under 22 years old, or meet the disability eligibility criteria are eligible for concessionary travel in the same way as all other Scottish residents. I would encourage all those eligible to apply.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on establishing an advisory group of equalities experts to co-produce new regulations for the public sector equality duty, as committed to by the then Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees in response to a letter from 26 equalities organisations in April 2022.

Answered by Stewart, Kaukab - Minister for Equalities

The Scottish Government is focused on implementing a phased approach to improving the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Scoping and planning of this work are underway in continued engagement with partners and stakeholders.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revisit and expand the review of the public sector equality duty, in light of the letter to stakeholders on 4 October 2023 from the then Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees.

Answered by Stewart, Kaukab - Minister for Equalities

The Scottish Government is currently reviewing the effectiveness of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and is committed to improving its implementation through a phased approach, within the limits of devolved competence.

We are progressing key initiatives under the improvement regime of the PSED, including our approach to inclusive communications, pay gap reporting, and utilising ministerial powers under Regulation 11. Insights from commissioned international research are also being considered to inform our policies.

Our focus remains on effectively implementing and improving the current frameworks.