Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has separate qualifying criteria for entitlement to support for Afghan refugees who were employed (a) directly by the Government or British Council and (b) employed by an organisation funded by the Government or British Council.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Eligible at-risk Afghan Nationals, who were directly employed by the British Government and British Council, and those working for programmes funded by the British Government and British Council who supported the UK effort in Afghanistan, are both being considered for resettlement if they applied for the MOD-led Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. The eligibility criteria for ARAP is set out on gov.uk. Any offer of resettlement will be contingent on security screening and provision of biometric information. We continue to work, including with likeminded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan, on resettlement issues and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2023 to Question 200463 on Refugees: Afghanistan, if she will take steps to establish the number of Afghan people based in Pakistan awaiting applications to be processed by the Visa Application Centre.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The number of Afghans awaiting applications to be processed at Visa Application Centre is internal management information and is not for public release at this time.
Cross government work continues at pace to provide resettlement to those located in third countries.
Data on Afghanistan resettlement is released quarterly and the latest release is available to view at: Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has separate qualifying criteria for entitlement to support for Afghan refugees who were employed (a) directly by the Government or British Council and (b) by an organisation funded by the Government or British Council.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Eligible at-risk Afghan Nationals, who were directly employed by the British Government and British Council, and those working for programmes funded by the British Government and British Council who supported the UK effort in Afghanistan, are both being considered for resettlement if they applied for the MOD-led Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. The eligibility criteria for ARAP is set out on gov.uk. Any offer of resettlement will be contingent on security screening and provision of biometric information. We continue to work, including with likeminded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan, on resettlement issues and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safe and legal routes are available for Sudanese refugees to come to the UK to escape ethnic cleansing in Darfur.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK has a proud history of supporting refugees. Since 2015, we have offered a place through our safe and legal routes to over half a million people seeking safety in the UK, as well as family members of refugees. Where somebody has a link to the UK, they may be eligible for our family routes.
The UK continues to welcome refugees through our existing global resettlement schemes, which includes the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme. We are proud to have welcomed over 300 Sudanese nationals through the UKRS and Community Sponsorship since 2021.
Our global resettlement schemes are not application based; instead, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) refers individuals for resettlement in accordance with their standard resettlement submission criteria. These are based on an assessment of protection needs or vulnerabilities. The UK does not seek to intervene in or influence UNHCR’s established selection processes.
There are additional routes for people to come to the UK to work or study provided they meet the requirements of the relevant immigration rules under which they are applying. However, the UK has finite resources and is so not able to provide tailored humanitarian routes in every circumstance.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2023 to Question 199700 Refugees: Afghanistan, if she will publish the data on arrival dates collected for internal and operational use; and what guidance her Department issues on the status of such data under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Exact arrival dates are not contained within the quarterly Immigration system statistics, however arrivals by quarter can be found within the immigration statistics for year ending June 2023 - GOV.UK
The data that is published for arrivals under Afghan Resettlement Schemes is viewable at: Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Freedom of Information requests for Afghan resettlement data are dealt with in accordance with the relevant FOIA guidance.
Asked by: Laura Farris (Conservative - Newbury)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people granted refugee status in Newbury constituency were given seven days' notice to leave their asylum accommodation in each of the last three years; and whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the notice period of such changes a person granted refugee status is given.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets), under the document Asylum seekers in receipt of support (second edition). Data sets are published on a quarterly basis, the latest quarterly figures were released on 24 August 2023.
Under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, asylum seekers are provided with housing and basic living expenses whilst the outcome of their claim is determined. This is known as Section 95 support. When an asylum seeker’s claim has been successful, then they will be notified in writing that their Section 95 support will cease in 28 days. If their claim has been unsuccessful, they will be notified in writing that their Section 95 support will cease in 21 days. There is no legislative power to provide such asylum support beyond the 21- or 28-day prescribed periods and there are no plans to change this period.
We encourage individuals to make their onward plans as soon as possible after receiving their decision, whether that is leaving the UK following a refusal, or taking steps to integrate in the UK following a grant.
We also offer support to newly recognised refugees during the 28-day ‘move-on’ period, through Migrant Help or their partner organisations. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), providing advice on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. This will ensure that people can move on following a decision on their claim.
Furthermore, all individuals are also given 7 days clear notice to quit to align to the end of the 28/21 day period from the accommodation provider.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan refugees who were not made offers of alternative housing were made homeless following the closure of hotel accommodation in each local authority in Wales.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
All 55 hotels being used to house around 8,000 Afghans at the end of March were no longer being used as bridging accommodation by 31 August.
The UK Government has granted all Afghans relocated through safe and legal routes with Indefinite Leave to Remain, including the immediate right to work, alongside access to the benefits system and vital health, education, and employment support.
On top of this the Government made available £35m of new funding to enable Local Authorities to provide increased support for Afghan households to move from hotels into settled accommodation.
The monitoring of Homelessness duties owed to this cohort is the responsibility of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).
DLUHC has been gathering survey data from local authorities in England on homelessness duties owed to Afghans leaving bridging accommodation. This data has been published in the Homelessness management information – Afghan nationals: England.
In summary the total number of Afghan households in this cohort in temporary accommodation under a homelessness duty in England as of 31 August was 188.
This is based on a voluntary survey to local authorities in England with a 74% response rate, of which 35% of local authorities had reported owing homelessness duties to Afghan households leaving bridging accommodation.
DLUHC will continue to monitor homelessness duties to this cohort going forwards and the Home Office will continue to publish statistics on resettlement schemes in the usual way.
The information requested for each local authority in Wales is not currently available. The following operational data published by the Home Office may be of interest: Afghan bridging hotel exit operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that basic standards of safety are met in accommodation provided to refugees and asylum seekers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. We expect high standards from all of our providers, and we have a robust governance framework in place to manage service delivery of the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC). Details of the AASC can be found at:
New asylum accommodation contracts awarded - GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-asylum-accommodation-contracts-awarded
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on people awaiting an initial decision can be found in table Asy_D03 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The Home Office also publishes data on the total number of outstanding cases in the asylum system (‘asylum work in progress’) in table ASY_03 the ‘Immigration and Protection’ part of the Migration Transparency Data collection. The latest data relates to the end of June 2023.
Accommodation costs are subject to change depending on numbers being accommodated within the asylum system. Accommodation costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. Total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts(opens in a new tab).
It would be inappropriate to comment on commercial arrangements with suppliers. All Home Office commercial contracts are designed to ensure the best value for tax payers and the Home Office closely monitors its contractors performance, including financial results. Any profits above the agreed contractual margins comes back to the Home Office.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2023 to Question 195655 on Afghanistan: Refugees, if she will publish the data her Department holds on how many (a) principals and (b) dependents have been relocated to the UK under the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme (i) Pathway 2 and (ii) Pathway 3 as of 1 September 2023.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Afghan operational data is released quarterly with the next release due for publication in November 2023. This will include data on the number of people resettled under Pathway 2 and Pathway 3 of Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme.
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, as well as quality and availability of data.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2023 to Question 195655 on Afghanistan: Refugees, for what reason data on separating principals and dependants is not publicly available.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Afghan operational data is released quarterly with the next release due for publication in November 2023. This will include data on the number of people resettled under Pathway 2 and Pathway 3 of Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme.
Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, as well as quality and availability of data.