Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many refugees who (1) have been given the right to remain in the UK and (2) are currently awaiting a decision on their application to remain are currently domiciled in Wales.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government publishes UK-level data on people granted leave under resettlement schemes in the Home Office’s quarterly Immigration System Statistics, including those arriving via safe and legal routes; data on those resettled in Wales is published within these statistics with breakdowns by scheme and local authority.
Figures for those residing in Wales who have been given leave to remain or are awaiting a decision under the Asylum and Human Rights routes; or those who are awaiting a resettlement decision under safe and legal routes are not published and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to expand the Community Sponsorship scheme as part of the refugee resettlement strategy; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of that scheme’s capacity to provide an effective resettlement route for refugees.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
As announced on 27 June, the refugee study and named community sponsorship routes will open to applications from prospective lead sponsors this autumn, with arrivals expected from autumn 2027 onwards. The new routes will operate alongside the existing UK Resettlement Scheme.
Arrivals under the new safe and legal routes will start small and build over time. The number of arrivals will be carefully managed to align with the UK’s capacity to support refugees.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to operationalise a named Community Sponsorship scheme for refugee resettlement.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
As announced on 27 June, the refugee study and named sponsorship routes will open to applications from prospective lead sponsors this autumn, with arrivals expected from autumn 2027 onwards. The refugee work route is expected to open next year.
Arrivals under the new safe and legal routes will start small and build over time. The number of arrivals will be carefully managed to align with the UK’s capacity to support refugees.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assist new arrivals in the UK to become part of the community.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to supporting refugees and those granted protection in the UK to fully integrate and contribute to British economy and society, in a way that promotes community cohesion.
Refugees (those granted asylum, humanitarian protection or temporary protection under the Immigration Rules), as well as individuals on resettlement schemes with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), have access to mainstream benefits and services to support their integration. Work is happening across Government and with local partners to ensure these services meet the needs of both refugees and the communities in which they live.
Across government, we work in partnership with local authorities to understand local needs and to support access to housing, services and community support. English language is a key part of integration. Adults in England can access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision through the Adult Skills Fund, supporting access to education, employment and other opportunities. Alongside mainstream provision, the Government also funds targeted English language and employment support programmes, including the STEP programme.
The Government has also provided funding to Strategic Migration Partnerships in England to build local English language capacity and support community-based provision, helping people to access support and connect with their communities.
In Protecting What Matters, we committed to setting clear expectations for integration (including English language proficiency and participation in work) and to developing a cross-government integration strategy. Efforts will focus on removing barriers to participation, supporting underrepresented groups, and fostering a shared sense of values across the UK.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her written statement of 2 March 2026 on Asylum changes, by what date her department plans to have operationalised a Named Community Sponsorship scheme for refugee resettlement.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced persons.
Work is underway to deliver the named community sponsorship route.
Further details, including timeframes for the launch of the route, will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions Ministers or officials in her Department have had regarding the dispersal of asylum seekers or refugees in Grantham with i) South Kesteven District Council, ii) Lincolnshire County Council, iii) the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, iv) Lincolnshire Police, and v) other relevant local authorities.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
There are currently no refugees arriving via the UK's Safe and Legal Routes who are scheduled for resettlement in Grantham.
The Asylum Accommodation Plans are the mechanisms via which the Home Office works towards achieving Full Dispersal and thus a fair and balanced distribution of asylum accommodation across all local authorities nationally. The Asylum Accommodation Plans are underpinned by an indexing model which accounts for a multitude of pressures within local authorities, including availability of housing, levels of homelessness, availability of GP and dentists as well as levels of community cohesion. Development of the plans was informed by engagement with a range of national, regional and local stakeholders, to ensure that the evidence base was reflective of boarder local authority feedback.
Procurement and delivery of asylum accommodation, in line with the plans, is supported by regular engagement between the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authority officials. Engagement is undertaken both via regular official forums jointly chaired by the Home Office and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs), as well as via ad hoc meetings with individual local authorities where there is a need to discuss specific concerns and/or issues. I can confirm that there has been continued engagement between Home Office, South Kesteven and Lincolnshire officials, both via official forums as well as ad hoc meetings, not only in reference to the broader Asylum Accommodation Plans but also more specifically regarding Grantham.
Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation; ensuring procurement of suitable accommodation that allows us to fulfil out statutory obligations whilst carefully considering any potential impacts on local areas. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence to inform procurement. This approach supports our commitment to ensuring that the provision of asylum accommodation is informed by local context and that any impacts on communities and services are minimised.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer provided to UIN 119503, on Asylum: Housing, which Asylum Accommodation Plan covers Dispersal Accommodation in Grantham.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
There are currently no refugees arriving via the UK's Safe and Legal Routes who are scheduled for resettlement in Grantham.
The Asylum Accommodation Plans are the mechanisms via which the Home Office works towards achieving Full Dispersal and thus a fair and balanced distribution of asylum accommodation across all local authorities nationally. The Asylum Accommodation Plans are underpinned by an indexing model which accounts for a multitude of pressures within local authorities, including availability of housing, levels of homelessness, availability of GP and dentists as well as levels of community cohesion. Development of the plans was informed by engagement with a range of national, regional and local stakeholders, to ensure that the evidence base was reflective of boarder local authority feedback.
Procurement and delivery of asylum accommodation, in line with the plans, is supported by regular engagement between the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authority officials. Engagement is undertaken both via regular official forums jointly chaired by the Home Office and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs), as well as via ad hoc meetings with individual local authorities where there is a need to discuss specific concerns and/or issues. I can confirm that there has been continued engagement between Home Office, South Kesteven and Lincolnshire officials, both via official forums as well as ad hoc meetings, not only in reference to the broader Asylum Accommodation Plans but also more specifically regarding Grantham.
Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation; ensuring procurement of suitable accommodation that allows us to fulfil out statutory obligations whilst carefully considering any potential impacts on local areas. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence to inform procurement. This approach supports our commitment to ensuring that the provision of asylum accommodation is informed by local context and that any impacts on communities and services are minimised.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what allocation the Department has made for (a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers that are to be dispersed in Grantham.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
There are currently no refugees arriving via the UK's Safe and Legal Routes who are scheduled for resettlement in Grantham.
The Asylum Accommodation Plans are the mechanisms via which the Home Office works towards achieving Full Dispersal and thus a fair and balanced distribution of asylum accommodation across all local authorities nationally. The Asylum Accommodation Plans are underpinned by an indexing model which accounts for a multitude of pressures within local authorities, including availability of housing, levels of homelessness, availability of GP and dentists as well as levels of community cohesion. Development of the plans was informed by engagement with a range of national, regional and local stakeholders, to ensure that the evidence base was reflective of boarder local authority feedback.
Procurement and delivery of asylum accommodation, in line with the plans, is supported by regular engagement between the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authority officials. Engagement is undertaken both via regular official forums jointly chaired by the Home Office and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs), as well as via ad hoc meetings with individual local authorities where there is a need to discuss specific concerns and/or issues. I can confirm that there has been continued engagement between Home Office, South Kesteven and Lincolnshire officials, both via official forums as well as ad hoc meetings, not only in reference to the broader Asylum Accommodation Plans but also more specifically regarding Grantham.
Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation; ensuring procurement of suitable accommodation that allows us to fulfil out statutory obligations whilst carefully considering any potential impacts on local areas. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence to inform procurement. This approach supports our commitment to ensuring that the provision of asylum accommodation is informed by local context and that any impacts on communities and services are minimised.
Asked by: Gareth Davies (Conservative - Grantham and Bourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many properties in i) South Kesteven and ii) Grantham will be utilised for the dispersal of asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
There are currently no refugees arriving via the UK's Safe and Legal Routes who are scheduled for resettlement in Grantham.
The Asylum Accommodation Plans are the mechanisms via which the Home Office works towards achieving Full Dispersal and thus a fair and balanced distribution of asylum accommodation across all local authorities nationally. The Asylum Accommodation Plans are underpinned by an indexing model which accounts for a multitude of pressures within local authorities, including availability of housing, levels of homelessness, availability of GP and dentists as well as levels of community cohesion. Development of the plans was informed by engagement with a range of national, regional and local stakeholders, to ensure that the evidence base was reflective of boarder local authority feedback.
Procurement and delivery of asylum accommodation, in line with the plans, is supported by regular engagement between the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authority officials. Engagement is undertaken both via regular official forums jointly chaired by the Home Office and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs), as well as via ad hoc meetings with individual local authorities where there is a need to discuss specific concerns and/or issues. I can confirm that there has been continued engagement between Home Office, South Kesteven and Lincolnshire officials, both via official forums as well as ad hoc meetings, not only in reference to the broader Asylum Accommodation Plans but also more specifically regarding Grantham.
Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation; ensuring procurement of suitable accommodation that allows us to fulfil out statutory obligations whilst carefully considering any potential impacts on local areas. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence to inform procurement. This approach supports our commitment to ensuring that the provision of asylum accommodation is informed by local context and that any impacts on communities and services are minimised.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her written statement of 2 March 2026 on Asylum changes, by what date her department intends to have operationalised a Named Community Sponsorship scheme for refugee resettlement.
Answered by Alex Norris - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced persons.
Work is underway to deliver the named community sponsorship route.
Further details, including timeframes for the launch of the route and the volume of beneficiaries, will be set out in due course.