Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what criteria his Department uses to determine whether it can enter into discussions on establishing potential asylum partnerships akin to the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK is continuing to work with a range of international partners to tackle global illegal migration challenges. Our focus has been on passing the Safety of Rwanda Bill, which builds on the Illegal Migration Act, and putting plans in place to get flights off the ground as soon as possible to Rwanda.
A range of factors need to be taken into consideration for migration partnerships, including the human rights situation in the country.
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 - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
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 - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
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 - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
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
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 and Mid Down)
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
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 - Shadow Chief Whip (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 - Shadow Chief Whip (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.