Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in developing their policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, they made an assessment of the unemployment rate in that country, and if so, what it is.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Our analysis of the country situation drew on a wide range of evidence gathered through both desk-based research and country visits. We collected information on economic indicators including the opportunities and support available to refugees seeking employment, together with information on Rwanda’s health system, including its accessibility to refugees.
The information was carefully selected in accordance with internationally established country-of-origin information research methods and includes content from a variety of reliable sources such as media outlets, governmental sources and local, national and international organisations.
I cannot comment on other international relations with Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in developing their policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, they made an assessment of the health priorities in that country, and if so, what they are.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Our analysis of the country situation drew on a wide range of evidence gathered through both desk-based research and country visits. We collected information on economic indicators including the opportunities and support available to refugees seeking employment, together with information on Rwanda’s health system, including its accessibility to refugees.
The information was carefully selected in accordance with internationally established country-of-origin information research methods and includes content from a variety of reliable sources such as media outlets, governmental sources and local, national and international organisations.
I cannot comment on other international relations with Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which other countries deem Rwanda to be a safe country for the purposes of asylum.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Our analysis of the country situation drew on a wide range of evidence gathered through both desk-based research and country visits. We collected information on economic indicators including the opportunities and support available to refugees seeking employment, together with information on Rwanda’s health system, including its accessibility to refugees.
The information was carefully selected in accordance with internationally established country-of-origin information research methods and includes content from a variety of reliable sources such as media outlets, governmental sources and local, national and international organisations.
I cannot comment on other international relations with Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what legal asylum or immigration routes there are for Afghan academics who worked with visiting British academics under the Development Partnerships in Higher Education (DelPHE) scheme, and who have subsequently been threatened by the Taliban regime, but have had their application to come to the UK under Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) rejected.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The UK has made one of the largest commitments to support Afghanistan of any country and, so far, we have brought around 23,000 people affected by the situation in Afghanistan to safety. This includes more than 6,300 vulnerable Afghan nationals through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
This is one of the most ambitious resettlement schemes in our country’s history and we are proud to offer a safe and legal route to those affected by events in Afghanistan.
Those who are not offered resettlement under the ACRS or ARAP including Afgan academics will need to apply to come to the UK under our existing economic or family migration rules. Further information can be found on the website at:
https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration
Whilst the UK has made a generous resettlement commitment, we must bear in mind the capacity of the UK to resettle people is not unlimited and therefore difficult decisions about who will be prioritised for resettlement have to be made.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department made an assessment of the human rights situation in Rwanda prior to the partnership agreement on the hosting of refugees in Rwanda.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Our own assessment carried out prior to the agreement of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership found Rwanda to be a safe and secure country. Our Country Policy and Information Notes on Rwanda provide a robust report that demonstrates our commitment to fully evaluating whether Rwanda would be suitable for each potentially eligible person to be relocated. These notes are published and can found on gov.uk: Rwanda: country policy and information notes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
We would only ever work with countries that we know are safe and will treat asylum seekers in accordance with relevant international human rights laws.
Asked by: Anne McLaughlin (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the (a) oral evidence from the Home Secretary to the Justice and Home Affairs Select Committee of 27 October 2021 on the proportion of people arriving illegally in the UK via small boats in the previous 12 months who were economic migrants and (b) immigration statistics published on 26 May 2022 relating to the proportion of positive asylum claims among young men aged 18 to 29, if she will clarify the proportion of single men aged 18 to 29 who arrived illegally in the UK via small boats in the 12 months to 31 March 2022 who were (i) granted (A) refugee status and (B) humanitarian protection and (ii) identified as economic migrants.
Answered by Kevin Foster
People should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach rather than making dangerous and illegal crossings. For those with specific protection needs which mean they can no longer stay in a host country, the UK works with the UNHCR to offer a safe and legal route to resettlement in the UK.
Our New Plan for Immigration will break the business model of international criminal gangs by making the UK a less attractive destination for illegal migrants. It will furthermore differentiate between those who arrive here through safe and legal routes and those who seek to circumvent this system. It will also speed up the asylum claims system so that we can separate the genuine asylum seekers from economic migrants quickly.
The overall grant rate can vary for several reasons, including the protection needs of those who claim asylum in the UK, along with operational resourcing and policy decisions. Grant rates vary considerably by nationality as the protection needs of specific groups or individuals differ, usually depending on the situation in their home country.
The Home Office are unable to state the proportion of single men aged 18 to 29 who arrived illegally in the UK by small boats in the 12 months to 31 March 2022 who were granted refugee status and humanitarian protection and identified as economic migrants as this information is not published or held in a reportable format.
The latest data on illegal migration can be found at: Irregular migration to the UK, year ending March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The latest data on asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement can be found at: List of tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has her Department made of the human rights situation in Rwanda before the Government entered into a partnership agreement on the hosting of asylum seekers in that country.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We are confident that the Migration and Economic Development Partnership is fully compliant with domestic and international law, including human rights law.
Rwanda is a State Party to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the seven core UN Human Rights Conventions. It is recognised globally for its record on welcoming and integrating migrants, including over 500 people evacuated from Libya under the EU’s Emergency Transit Mechanism working in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency, and 30,000 Burundian refugees. Under this agreement, they will process claims in accordance with the UN Refugee Convention, national and international human rights laws.
All those considered for relocation will be decided on a case by case basis.
. Nobody will be relocated if it is unsafe or inappropriate for them.
Asked by: Baroness Stroud (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the net contribution to the economy generated by those granted asylum in the UK over the financial year 2019–20.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office has not made an assessment of the net contribution to the economy generated by those granted asylum in the UK over the financial year 2019–20.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to suspend all removals of Zimbabwe citizens from the UK in the light of the political, economic and humanitarian situation in that country.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of the latest available country of origin information and any relevant caselaw.
The Home Office only seeks to return those whose claims have been unsuccessful and who, by definition, do not need our protection and are not at risk on return. We work closely with other countries to ensure people are returned safely and with dignity.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of migrants and asylum seekers with the right to work but no recourse to public funds; and what plans she has to review that policy in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The majority of migrants from outside of the European Economic Area have no recourse to public funds; this includes asylum seekers but also extends to other individuals, such as those here for work or as the partner or parent of a British citizen. The public interest in migrants being financially independent and not being a burden on the State is long established.
However, the Home Office is working closely with other government departments to support people, including migrants with no recourse to public funds, through this crisis. We are taking a compassionate and pragmatic approach to an unprecedented situation.
Many of the wide-ranging Covid-19 measures the government has put in place are not public funds and therefore are available to migrants with no recourse to public funds (NRPF).
The Coronavirus job retention scheme, self-employment income support and statutory sick pay are not classed as public funds for immigration purposes. Contribution-based benefits are also not classed as public funds for immigration purposes. Additionally, measures we have brought forward such as rent and mortgage protections are not considered public funds and can be accessed by migrants with leave to remain.
Migrants with leave under the Family and Human Rights routes can apply to have the NRPF restriction lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application if there has been a change in their financial circumstances. The Home Office has recently digitised the application form to make sure it is accessible for those who need to remain at home, and I can assure you that the applications are being dealt with swiftly and compassionately.
Local authorities may also provide basic safety net support if it is established that there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example, where there are community care needs, migrants with serious health problems or family cases where the wellbeing of a child is in question.
The Government has made in excess of £3.2bn of funding available to local authorities in England to assist them in managing the pressures arising out of the pandemic.
Asylum seekers do not have an automatic right to work. However, they may apply for permission to work in the UK on jobs on the Shortage Occupation List if their asylum claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, where the delay is through no fault of their own.
Those asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are supported by the Home Office on application. An asylum seeker or failed asylum seeker who requires assistance can contact Migrant Help and make an application for support from the Home Office through the contact details below:ASCorrespondence@MigrantHelpUK.org Telephone: 0808 8010 503
As part of this Government’s response to covid-19, we have ensured that asylum seekers who are provided with accommodation will be able to remain in their current accommodation for the next three months. This includes those granted refugee status or other leave who can access public funds, as well as those whose application for asylum has been refused. The situation will be reviewed at the end of June.