Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1006151

	registered interest
	date	13/11/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that minors residing in Calais that have family in the UK are able to access family reunification procedures.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
	tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
	uin	190963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>The primary responsibly for children in France lies with the French authorities. It is important that any children present in Calais claim asylum or otherwise engage with French authorities.</p><p>Under the EU Dublin Regulation the UK will accept all requests for transfer of an unaccompanied child’s asylum claims with qualifying family in the UK and where transfer is in the child’s best interests. In order to enter this process, a child must first claim asylum in the Member State in which they are present, and that State must request that the UK takes charge of their asylum claim.</p><p>As part of the Sandhurst Treaty, signed between the UK and France on 18 January 2018, we agreed a comprehensive package to support unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children. This includes a £3.6 million development fund to support eligible children through the Dublin process and ensures that those without any prospect for transferring to the UK are informed of their options. We have also agreed shorter timescales for acceptance and transfer under the Dublin process and a UK asylum liaison officer has been deployed to France to support this process.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 20/11/2018 15:17:32 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1010569

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to review the restriction on the ability of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to sponsor the visas of adult relatives for the purposes of family reunion.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol West
	tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
	uin	193502
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2018 answer text <p>There is currently no provision in the Immigration Rules for children with refugee status in the UK to sponsor family members to join them. Allowing children to sponsor parents risks creating further incentives for more children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave their family and risk hazardous journeys to the UK to sponsor relatives. This plays into the hands of criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people and goes against our safeguarding responsibilities.</p><p>The Government believes the best interests of children is reflected in staying with their families, claiming asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety – and relying on safe and legal routes under the Immigration Rules or through resettlement schemes.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 28/11/2018 17:46:44 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1015194

	registered interest
	date	26/11/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of expanding the support provided by the Independent Child Trafficking Advocates service to all unaccompanied and separated children.
	tabling member constituency	Stockport
	tabling member printed	Ann Coffey
	uin	195486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>Independent Child Trafficking Advocates (ICTAs) support children who have potentially been trafficked. Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which makes provisions for ICTAs, is being examined by the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act led by Frank Field, Baroness Butler-Sloss and Maria Miller.</p><p>The aim of the review is to report on the operation and effectiveness of, and potential improvements to, provisions in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which provides the legal framework for tackling modern slavery. A link to the terms of reference can be found <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modern-slavery-act-2015-independent-review-terms-of-reference/review-of-the-modern-slavery-act-2015-terms-of-reference%20" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/modern-slavery-act-2015-independent-review-terms-of-reference/review-of-the-modern-slavery-act-2015-terms-of-reference </a></p><p>The Government will consider carefully any recommendations about ICTAs which come out of the review.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 04/12/2018 16:32:32 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	458 label Biography information for Ann Coffey

1020021

	registered interest
	date	04/12/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied minors who were held in Calais detention centres have been resettled in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	198760
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/12/2018 answer text <p>In October 2016, the UK acted decisively and on an exceptional basis at the time of the Calais camp clearance to remove 769 vulnerable unaccompanied children from a dangerous situation where they were at risk of violence and abuse. Our action at that time resulted in 220 children being relocated to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, and the remaining 549 children being transferred to reunite with family members already in the UK.</p><p>Following the clearance of the camp, the French authorities arranged for the children who had previously been there to be moved to specialist reception centres around France. Children who could not be transferred to the UK and who remained in France were transferred into the French care system.</p><p>We are continuing to work closely with French authorities and non-governmental organisations in France to support the identification and transfer of eligible children to the UK under Dublin. We have allocated a £3.6 million Dublin development fund, as part of the Sandhurst Treaty signed between the UK and France in January 2018, to identify projects to support eligible claims through the asylum process and ensure those who are ineligible for transfer to the UK are informed of their options. The Treaty also includes a commitment to reduce timescales for decisions and transfers under Dublin. A UK asylum liaison officer has been deployed to France to support the process.</p><p>Responsibility for unaccompanied children on French territory lies with the French authorities, however France is bound by many of the same international obligations as the UK. Children have access to day centres where they can access support and information about the French asylum procedures.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 12/12/2018 17:15:54 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1023997

	registered interest
	date	12/12/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied minors seeking asylum were detained by the UK in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
	tabling member printed	David Linden
	uin	201715
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2019 answer text <p>Unaccompanied minors are not detained for asylum purposes in the UK.</p><p>Information on people entering detention by age, sex and place of initial detention (as at year ending September 2018) can be found in table dt_01_q of the detention tables, which can be found in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics’, available from the Home Office website at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#detention" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#detention</a></p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 25/01/2019 16:31:35 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4640 label Biography information for David Linden

1024798

	registered interest
	date	13/12/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long the average period of immigration detention was for minors seeking asylum in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	202134
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2018 answer text <p>Almost all asylum claims are processed in the community. Individuals will have their claim processed in detention only if they have claimed asylum after having been detained for removal, or if they present public protection concerns. Accompanied or unaccompanied asylum seeking children are not detained in these circumstances.</p><p>Information on people entering detention by age, sex and place of initial detention (as at year ending September 2018) is available in table dt_01_q of the detention tables, which can be found in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics’, available from the Home Office website at:<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#detention" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#detention</a></p><p>The table shows the figures broken down by those people who have claimed asylum at some point in the past.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes grouped question UIN 202135 question first answered 18/12/2018 14:23:00 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1024799

	registered interest
	date	13/12/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long the average period of immigration detention was for unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	202135
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2018 answer text <p>Almost all asylum claims are processed in the community. Individuals will have their claim processed in detention only if they have claimed asylum after having been detained for removal, or if they present public protection concerns. Accompanied or unaccompanied asylum seeking children are not detained in these circumstances.</p><p>Information on people entering detention by age, sex and place of initial detention (as at year ending September 2018) is available in table dt_01_q of the detention tables, which can be found in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics’, available from the Home Office website at:<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#detention" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables#detention</a></p><p>The table shows the figures broken down by those people who have claimed asylum at some point in the past.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes grouped question UIN 202134 question first answered 18/12/2018 14:23:00 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1029323

	registered interest
	date	20/12/2018
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2018 to Question 179213 on Asylum: Children, how many of the of the unaccompanied children who were granted asylum in the UK in 2017 made applications for refugee family reunion outside of the immigration rules; and how many of those applications were granted by (a) the Home Office and (b) an immigration judge.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	204505
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>There is currently no provision in the Immigration Rules for Unaccompanied children who were granted asylum in the UK to sponsor family members to make applications for family reunion outside of the immigration rules.</p><p>Allowing children to sponsor family members could create further incentives for more children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave their family and risk hazardous journeys to the UK to sponsor relatives. This plays into the hands of criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people and goes against our safeguarding responsibilities.</p><p>The Government believes the best interests of children are reflected in remaining with their families, claiming asylum in the first safe country they reach that is the fastest route to safety and relying on resettlement schemes to travel safely.</p><p>Available information relates to refugee family reunion applications received in total, from each nationality and how many were accepted in 2018 is published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018/list-of-tables</a></p><p>All those issued a family reunion visa are granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom, not asylum. The family reunion application process does not require an assessment of the applicant’s international protection needs. It is the family member in the UK that is required to have been granted refugee status or Humanitarian Protection.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 14/01/2019 16:16:37 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1041429

	registered interest
	date	14/01/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offers of placements his Department has received from local authorities with the capacity to look after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	208395
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2019 answer text <p>The government remains fully committed to delivering on our commitment to relocate the specified number of 480 children under Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 and we continue to work very closely with participating States -France, Greece and Italy - and local authorities and delivery partners in order to meet this commitment as soon as possible.</p><p>The Home Office consulted extensively with local authorities to determine the number of unaccompanied children they would be able to support under section 67, in addition to the almost 4,500 unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the care of local authorities across the country. In October 2018, the Court of Appeal confirmed that the consultation to determine the specified number was lawful.</p><p>Over 220 unaccompanied children have been transferred to the UK, and transfers of eligible children are ongoing. We will not provide a running commentary on numbers and will publish the details once all children are in the UK.</p><p>On 20 December 2018, the Government announced our decision to remove the date criterion for the referral of unaccompanied children in Europe to be relocated to the UK under section 67. This means that participating States are now able to refer the most vulnerable children whose best interests are served by relocation to the UK, regardless of when they arrived into Europe. We are confident that this change will support an increase the rate of referrals from participating States.</p><p>Once an eligible child is referred, the Home Office conducts relevant security checks and seeks to identify an appropriate local authority care placement that takes into account each individual child’s specific needs. Home Office officials continue to work closely with local authorities to identify available care placements for children relocated to the UK under this commitment, as well as those transferred to the UK under our resettlement schemes and between local authorities under the National Transfer Scheme.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes grouped question UIN 208393 208394 question first answered 21/01/2019 16:40:52 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1041630

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2018 to Question 195486 on guardianship for unaccompanied and separated children, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve the (i) quality and (ii) timeliness of asylum decision making and (b) to ensure that decision makers understand the effects trauma can have on unaccompanied young people navigating the asylum system.
	tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
	tabling member printed	Catherine West
	uin	208875
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2019 answer text <p>The Home Office takes its responsibility for the welfare of children very seriously, including ensuring that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in every decision taken in respect of the child. We are committed to ensuring that all asylum claims are considered without unnecessary delay, so that those who need protection are granted as soon as possible and can start to integrate and rebuild their lives.</p><p>We continue to work to improve the quality of decision-making to ensure that we get decisions right the first time and that we properly consider all evidence provided.</p><p>We aim to reduce the proportion of allowed appeals by analysing the reasons and using this to inform and further improve guidance and training. Similarly, the Home Office’s country information and guidance is kept under review.</p><p>UKVI has an internal audit process which assesses the quality of decisions, interviews and the application of Home Office policy. We have Senior Case Worker assessments as well as independent auditors from the Central Operations Assurance Team who audit asylum cases and provide quarterly reports.</p><p>We have plans to improve the speed at which outstanding asylum claims are decided. These include rolling recruitment campaigns to maintain decision maker levels, a staff retention strategy to ensure it retains its highly skilled asylum decision makers, and the further expansion of digital processes to increase case working flexibility.</p><p>All asylum decision-makers who consider accompanied and unaccompanied young people’s cases must attend a three day Keeping Children Safe: Tier 3 course. Part of this course is dedicated to educating decision-makers<br> so that they can appreciate the complex psychology of asylum-seeking children. Included in this section of the course is a consideration of the effects of trauma on young children navigating the asylum system.</p><p>All decision makers also receive extensive training on how to interview asylum seekers in a sensitive way and consider the claim for sustainable decisions to be reached. We ensure that claimants are given every opportunity to disclose information relevant to their claim before a decision is taken, even where that information may be sensitive or difficult to disclose.</p><p>The Home Office monitors its processes to ensure that it adheres to the very stringent statutory and policy safeguards in place regarding unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. The children’s asylum process differs to the adult process and was designed around the additional needs of children.</p><p>While in the UK, unaccompanied children are looked after by local authorities who have a statutory duty to ensure that they safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, regardless of their immigration status or nationality. Under these arrangements, children are assessed with regard to their individual needs and provided with access to education, accommodation and health services, as would be provided to any other looked after child in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes grouped question UIN 208876 question first answered 23/01/2019 14:50:36 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
	tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West