Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans provide a substantive response to the correspondence of hon. Member for Glasgow Central of 15 July 2020 regarding constituent Mr Azizi.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member’s correspondence. A reply was sent on 1 October 2020.
The hon. Member for Glasgow Central wrote on 15 July 2020 on behalf of her constituent, Mr Nihaz Azizi (known to UKVI as Mr Nihat Azizi), who claimed asylum in the UK on 3 April 2019. The hon. Member requested a progress update on the asylum claim.
Routine fingerprint checks indicated that Mr Azizi had previously claimed asylum in Germany in January 2016, and consideration was therefore given to returning him to Germany in accordance with the Dublin Regulations. However, it was subsequently decided to process his asylum claim in the UK.
UKVI cannot give an indication as to when Mr Azizi’s asylum claim is likely to be concluded as this will depend on the nature and extent of any enquiries that may need to be carried out before it can make a decision.
UKVI will contact Mr Azizi in writing via his legal representatives, Latta & Co Solicitors, once a decision is made on his asylum claim or if any further information or evidence is required.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review (1) their policy towards, (2) the operation of, and (3) the methods used to assess the performance of, immigration enforcement; and what steps they are taking to ensure that such enforcement (a) delivers value for money, and (b) is effective.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Enforcing the UK’s immigration laws is critical to a functioning immigration system and effectively implementing the Government’s policies.
As the public would expect, we continually review all of the different methods we use to prevent illegal migration, ensure compliance with the Government’s policies and enforce the UK’s immigration laws, to ensure that they are effective and deliver value for money.
Many of the challenges we currently face in seeking to delivering an effective and efficient enforcement capability, in addition to logistical constraints relating to COVID 19, are due to the rigid nature of the Dublin Regulations and last-minute litigation challenges and will be addressed by the Government’s plans to deliver reform to the entire system within the Sovereign Borders Bill.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps have been taken to ensure that safe and legal pathways remain open from 2021 for unaccompanied children within Europe (a) with and (b) without families in the UK.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government remains fully committed to ensuring eligible individuals seeking asylum in Europe, including unaccompanied children, who have family members in the UK can continue to be transferred under the Dublin III Regulation throughout the transition period. Furthermore, the Immigration, Nationality and Asylum (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 include ‘saving’ provisions under which transfer requests under the Dublin family reunion provisions which entered the system before the end of the transition period will continue to be processed after that date.
The UK has presented a genuine and sincere offer to the EU on a future reciprocal arrangement for the family reunion of unaccompanied children seeking asylum in either the EU or the UK, with specified family members in the UK or the EU, where it is in the child’s best interests. On 19 May we published draft legal text as a constructive contribution to negotiations.
Furthermore, we continue to provide safe and legal routes to bring families together through our refugee family reunion Rules, and Part 8 and Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. These routes have not been affected by the UK’s exit from the EU.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigrants who crossed the English Channel illegally have been returned to their home countries since 1 January 2018.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
We remain committed to removing those with no right to be in the UK, and who do not comply with our immigration laws.
The Home Office continues to work closely with EU Member State partners to enact transfers as soon as possible and ahead of the six-month timeframe for a return.
There are a number of factors that have affected returns, including the inflexibility of Dublin Regulations and last-minute legal challenges from activist lawyers, alongside practical and logistical difficulties as a result of the pandemic. We are working at pace to reduce the number of older cases in the system and increase the number of removals - and we are in active discussions with countries to make that happen.
The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum seekers transferred under the Dublin regulation in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum seekers transferred out of the UK under the Dublin Regulation, broken down by the EU member state they have been transferred to are published in tables Dub_D01 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2019.
Please note, that we do not publish the breakdowns of the nationality of those being transferred under the Dublin Regulation
Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F885622%2Fdublin-regulation-datasets-mar-2020.xlsx&data=02%7C01%7C%7C45a74cb48ae24878e4a308d806ee2df2%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C637266967355702880&sdata=vaSspWJbkCtn8xcTawc2wFnj9D1kOXdQfFYbX8AD1F0%3D&reserved=0
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Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that immigrants who cross the English Channel illegally return safely to their home countries.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
We remain committed to removing those with no right to be in the UK, and who do not comply with our immigration laws.
The Home Office continues to work closely with EU Member State partners to enact transfers as soon as possible and ahead of the six-month timeframe for a return.
There are a number of factors that have affected returns, including the inflexibility of Dublin Regulations and last-minute legal challenges from activist lawyers, alongside practical and logistical difficulties as a result of the pandemic. We are working at pace to reduce the number of older cases in the system and increase the number of removals - and we are in active discussions with countries to make that happen.
The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum seekers transferred under the Dublin regulation in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum seekers transferred out of the UK under the Dublin Regulation, broken down by the EU member state they have been transferred to are published in tables Dub_D01 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2019.
Please note, that we do not publish the breakdowns of the nationality of those being transferred under the Dublin Regulation
Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release
https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F885622%2Fdublin-regulation-datasets-mar-2020.xlsx&data=02%7C01%7C%7C45a74cb48ae24878e4a308d806ee2df2%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C637266967355702880&sdata=vaSspWJbkCtn8xcTawc2wFnj9D1kOXdQfFYbX8AD1F0%3D&reserved=0
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Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of additional Dublin Regulation requests that will be decided in the UK after the end of the transition period.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK will cease to participate in the Dublin Regulation at the end of the transition period. However, the Immigration, Nationality and Asylum (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 contain a “savings provision” to enable a Dublin family reunion request, made before 1 January 2021, to continue to be processed after that date.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with which countries the UK has deportation agreements for the return of nationals found illegally in the UK.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
To support the facilitation of removing those individuals with no right to remain in the UK, the UK has formal returns or readmission agreements with the following countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, Iraq, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Somalia, South Korea, South Sudan, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam.
There are also formal returns arrangements for third-country nationals to other European countries through the Dublin Regulations.
To all other countries to which returns are enforced, the Home Office utilises informal bilateral processes.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Dublin III agreement will be repealed with respect to UK law on 31 December 2020.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Immigration, Nationality and Asylum (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 revokes the Dublin Regulation. This legislation takes effect at the end of the Transition Period.
The Regulations contain a “savings provision” where a Dublin family reunion request made before 1 January 2021 can still be processed after that date.
Asked by: Lord Maginnis of Drumglass (Independent Ulster Unionist - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many illegal migrants coming to the UK via France were apprehended by UK authorities (1) since the COVID-19 lock-down began, and (2) in each month since May 2018; and what percentage of those apprehended in each of those months have been successfully repatriated.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We do not routinely publish the information you have requested, we are unable to provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The number of migrants arriving in the UK crossing the Channel by small boats for the months of January to March 2020 is approx. 450.? These are provisional figures based on operational management information. The figures for April and May have not passed through a data quality check and cannot be assured. The final figures for all months will be published at a later date, once they have been verified and fully quality assured.
The UK continues to work closely with France and other countries to return migrants who have entered the UK by small boat in order to provide a strong deterrent against these dangerous crossings.
Since January 2019, over 155 people who entered the UK illegally on small boats have been returned to Europe. However, as a result of COVID-19 the vast majority of EU member states have temporarily paused accepting returns under the Dublin Regulations, but we are tracking those individuals and where appropriate will seek to return them when routes are available
It is the policy of this Government to return those not in need of protection.
The majority of countries who are signatories to the?Dublin?Regulations which governs the return of those seeking asylum in the UK to a third country have announced temporary suspension of transfers to and from all EU Member States due to the Corona virus.
Returns?to third-countries can still take place where there is a suitable route of return.
We are ready to resume?Dublin?returns?as soon as travel restrictions are lifted
The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum seekers transferred under the Dublin regulation in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on the number of asylum seekers transferred out of the UK under the Dublin Regulation, broken down by the EU member state they have been transferred to are published in tables Dub_D01 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets). Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2019.
Please note, that we do not publish the breakdowns of the nationality of those being transferred under the Dublin regulation.
Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’ (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).
Full guidance on Dublin III Regulation was published on 30/04/2020 and can be found via the link below:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/882400/Dublin-III-regulation-v3.0ext.pdf
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many boats transporting migrants to the UK have been turned back in each month of the last three years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
To provide information regarding the number of boats illegally transporting migrants have arrived in the UK in each month of the last three years would require a manual check of individual records which would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.
However, we can provide information that the number of migrants arriving in the UK crossing the Channel by small boats for the months of January to March 2020 is approx. 450.? These are provisional figures based on operational management information. The figures for April have not passed through a data quality check and cannot be assured. The final figures for all months will be published at a later date, once they have been verified and fully quality assured.
Interceptions of migrants at sea is carried by UK and French authorities, migrants will be taken to the appropriate country determined by the interception’s location in territorial waters.
In April 2020 more than 500 migrants have been stopped from getting to the UK using a small boat. This includes French law enforcement at sea, on beaches and on the inland roads network.
The UK continues to work closely with France and other countries to return migrants who have entered the UK by small boat in order to provide a strong deterrent against these dangerous crossings.
Since January 2019, over 155 people who entered the UK illegally on small boats have been returned to Europe. However, as a result of COVID-19 the vast majority of EU member states have temporarily paused accepting returns under the Dublin Regulations, but we are tracking those individuals and where appropriate will seek to return them when routes are available.
The Home Secretary together with her French counterpart have reaffirmed their shared commitment to end the crossings and have put forward new measures and approaches to tackling the issue – looking again at ways to return more migrants to France.