Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether individuals from Hong Kong who have been granted asylum or refugee status will be required to meet a 20-year settlement requirement.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK. We fully recognise the significant contribution that Hong Kongers have already made to the UK, and the role they will continue to play in the years ahead.
Those on the BN(O) visa route will receive a 5-year reduction under the new earned settlement model.
For those recognised as refugees, we will introduce a starting point of a 20-year qualifying period of settlement. Those who move from core protection onto the new core protection-work and study routes will be able to earn reductions.
Resettled refugees who have been granted protection and moved to the UK through official resettlement programmes are intended to start at 10 years, bringing them in line with other arrivals on planned migration routes.
Beyond this, full details of the new earned settlement model will be finalised following the currently ongoing public consultation.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have formally requested the consent of the government of Mauritius to publish further details about the trust fund for the Chagossians under the UK–Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As previously stated, the Government will make a Ministerial Statement ahead of ratification on eligibility for resettlement and the modalities of the Chagossian Trust Fund. We continue to discuss the details of the Trust Fund with Mauritius.
The first meeting of the Chagossian Contact Group, attended by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials, took place on 2 September 2025. The Contact Group will continue to meet quarterly as part of wider engagement between the UK Government and Chagossian representatives, and we will continue to discuss ways that engagement may be enhanced. Currently, the Group is made up of two representatives from each of the following groups:
· Chagossian Voices
· UK Chagos Refugees Group
· Chagos Islanders Movement
· Chagos Refugees Group (Mauritius)
· Association Chagossiens de France
· Seychellois Chagossians Committee
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many individuals are members of their Chagossian contact group.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As previously stated, the Government will make a Ministerial Statement ahead of ratification on eligibility for resettlement and the modalities of the Chagossian Trust Fund. We continue to discuss the details of the Trust Fund with Mauritius.
The first meeting of the Chagossian Contact Group, attended by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials, took place on 2 September 2025. The Contact Group will continue to meet quarterly as part of wider engagement between the UK Government and Chagossian representatives, and we will continue to discuss ways that engagement may be enhanced. Currently, the Group is made up of two representatives from each of the following groups:
· Chagossian Voices
· UK Chagos Refugees Group
· Chagos Islanders Movement
· Chagos Refugees Group (Mauritius)
· Association Chagossiens de France
· Seychellois Chagossians Committee
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times their Chagossian contact group has met since its establishment, and on what dates those meetings were held.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As previously stated, the Government will make a Ministerial Statement ahead of ratification on eligibility for resettlement and the modalities of the Chagossian Trust Fund. We continue to discuss the details of the Trust Fund with Mauritius.
The first meeting of the Chagossian Contact Group, attended by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials, took place on 2 September 2025. The Contact Group will continue to meet quarterly as part of wider engagement between the UK Government and Chagossian representatives, and we will continue to discuss ways that engagement may be enhanced. Currently, the Group is made up of two representatives from each of the following groups:
· Chagossian Voices
· UK Chagos Refugees Group
· Chagos Islanders Movement
· Chagos Refugees Group (Mauritius)
· Association Chagossiens de France
· Seychellois Chagossians Committee
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a Minister of the Crown has been present at every meeting of their Chagossian contact group.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As previously stated, the Government will make a Ministerial Statement ahead of ratification on eligibility for resettlement and the modalities of the Chagossian Trust Fund. We continue to discuss the details of the Trust Fund with Mauritius.
The first meeting of the Chagossian Contact Group, attended by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials, took place on 2 September 2025. The Contact Group will continue to meet quarterly as part of wider engagement between the UK Government and Chagossian representatives, and we will continue to discuss ways that engagement may be enhanced. Currently, the Group is made up of two representatives from each of the following groups:
· Chagossian Voices
· UK Chagos Refugees Group
· Chagos Islanders Movement
· Chagos Refugees Group (Mauritius)
· Association Chagossiens de France
· Seychellois Chagossians Committee
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the minutes of the meetings of their Chagossian contact group.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As previously stated, the Government will make a Ministerial Statement ahead of ratification on eligibility for resettlement and the modalities of the Chagossian Trust Fund. We continue to discuss the details of the Trust Fund with Mauritius.
The first meeting of the Chagossian Contact Group, attended by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials, took place on 2 September 2025. The Contact Group will continue to meet quarterly as part of wider engagement between the UK Government and Chagossian representatives, and we will continue to discuss ways that engagement may be enhanced. Currently, the Group is made up of two representatives from each of the following groups:
· Chagossian Voices
· UK Chagos Refugees Group
· Chagos Islanders Movement
· Chagos Refugees Group (Mauritius)
· Association Chagossiens de France
· Seychellois Chagossians Committee
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the list of members of their Chagossian contact group.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As previously stated, the Government will make a Ministerial Statement ahead of ratification on eligibility for resettlement and the modalities of the Chagossian Trust Fund. We continue to discuss the details of the Trust Fund with Mauritius.
The first meeting of the Chagossian Contact Group, attended by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials, took place on 2 September 2025. The Contact Group will continue to meet quarterly as part of wider engagement between the UK Government and Chagossian representatives, and we will continue to discuss ways that engagement may be enhanced. Currently, the Group is made up of two representatives from each of the following groups:
· Chagossian Voices
· UK Chagos Refugees Group
· Chagos Islanders Movement
· Chagos Refugees Group (Mauritius)
· Association Chagossiens de France
· Seychellois Chagossians Committee
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
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 amending (a) visa and (b) asylum routes for people fleeing conflict in Sudan with British national immediate family members in the UK by (i) waiving income rules, (ii) allowing asylum applications to be made in third party countries and (c) bringing forward other measures to help reunite families separated by conflict.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Sudanese nationals who wish to come to the UK to join a family member here need a family visa. Applications can be made for a family visa to live with a spouse or partner; fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner; parent; child; relative who is providing care.
The financial requirements form part of the ‘core’ requirements of the Family Immigration Rules. Expecting family migrants and their sponsors to be financially independent is reasonable, both to them and the taxpayer.
However, where someone cannot meet the core requirements, including those relating to finances, permission will still be granted where refusal would breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
As part of the Immigration White Paper reforms, the government intends to set out a new family policy that will cover all UK residents, including those who are British, settled, on work routes or refugees seeking to bring family members to the UK.
The UK has a proud history of providing protection and we continue to welcome refugees and people in need through our safe and legal routes. 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. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, including the current situation in Sudan, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might wish to come here. It is important that safe and legal routes are sustainable, well managed and in line with the UK’s capacity to welcome, accommodate and integrate refugees. We do not currently have any plans to open a specific route for people affected by the conflict in Sudan.
Additionally, the recently announced Asylum Policy Statement set out a new model for refugee resettlement. We will give greater say to communities and support refugees as they settle, become self-sufficient, and contribute to their local areas. This new model will be based on local capacity to support refugees, and arrival numbers will be tightly controlled by the government.
To achieve this, we will:
• Reform refugee sponsorship to give voluntary and community sector organisations a greater role in resettlement through named sponsorship, within caps set by government.
• Introduce a capped route for refugee and displaced students to study in the UK, helping talented refugees to continue their studies, realise their potential and be able to return to their country and help rebuild it as soon as circumstances allow.
• Establish a capped route for skilled refugees and displaced people to come to the UK for work, building on the experience of the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot.
Our intention is that those arriving on the reformed resettlement routes will be on the ten-year route to settlement. However, this will be subject to wider consultation.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, within the context of her asylum statement on 17 November 2025, if those arriving in the UK via safe and legal routes to seek asylum will have to wait for 20 years for indefinite settled status if they are recognised as refugees.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Our intention is that individuals arriving through reformed Safe and Legal resettlement routes will follow a ten-year path to settlement with the possibility of reducing this period based on contribution, in line with wider settlement reforms. This approach is subject to further consultation.
We are introducing transformative changes to Safe and Legal routes that will fundamentally reshape how the UK offers opportunities to refugees. Work is underway at pace to operationalise these new routes, and further details will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her plan to offer permanent settlement to refugees only after 20 years residence in the UK will apply to people currently (a) in the asylum system and (b) holding refugee status.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We will carefully manage the transition into the new system - avoiding any risk of a 'closing down sale'. That is why we will seek to put in place transitional provisions to ensure that the offer remains clear and fair.
Refugees who are given core protection will be able to switch into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route. This will enable them to earn down their length of time before they can settle in the UK from 20 years.
Settlement requirements will be considered in an upcoming consultation on earned settlement, covering both legal and illegal migrants.