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1402543

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migrants and Refugees
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their definition of (1) a refugee, and (2) a migrant; and what are the practical consequences of the distinction between them.
	tabling member printed	Viscount Waverley
	uin	HL5374
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2022 answer text <p>Refugee status is granted when an individual has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention. Those who are not in need of protection are required to leave the UK or apply for leave to remain on another basis.</p><p> </p><p>Paragraph 334 of the Immigration Rules sets out the circumstances in which an asylum applicant will be granted Refugee Status in the UK. 334(ii) confirms that an individual must be a refugee as defined in regulation 2 of The Refugee or Person in Need of International Protection (Qualification) Regulations 2006.</p><p> </p><p>The 2006 Regulations refer to individuals who fall within Article 1(A) of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28 July 1951 and the New York Protocol of 31 January 1967 and to whom regulation 7 (Exclusion) does not apply.</p><p>The Nationality and Borders Bill is aiming to make the definition of a refugee even clearer, improving the consistency of decisions across all decision makers (including the Courts).</p><p>The conditions of refugee leave which a person will be granted if they qualify for refugee status under the Immigration Rules is broadly five years’ limited leave, access to the labour market and welfare support, and a route to apply for settlement after five years.</p><p>The term migrant is not routinely used in legislation – it is more common to refer to “a person subject to immigration control”. The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002A does include a definition of a migrant for the purposes of section 59(3)(a) being “a person who leaves the country where he lives hoping to settle in another country (whether or not he is a refugee within the meaning of any international Convention)”. However, that definition is used in a specific context and not more broadly in terms of legislation.</p><p>In practical terms, an individual subject to immigration control requires specific permission to stay in the UK and will usually be subject to conditions attached to that permission. These conditions vary depending on the type of leave for which an individual applies.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 26/01/2022 16:20:39 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	1744 label Biography information for Viscount Waverley

1491793

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Dependants and Married People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the current waiting times for (1) spousal, and (2) dependant, visa applications.
	tabling member printed	Viscount Waverley
	uin	HL2053
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2022 answer text <p>The Home Office had been prioritising Ukraine Visa Schemes applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Staff from other government departments, including DWP and HMRC, have been surged into the department to help with Ukraine work and enable normal visa routes to return to normal service levels in due course.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 04/08/2022 14:57:45 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	1744 label Biography information for Viscount Waverley

1402905

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many refugees have been evacuated from Afghanistan to the UK since August 2021; how many of those are currently living in temporary accommodation in the UK; and how many of those have been found permanent homes in England.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL5386
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2022 answer text <p>Over 15,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan under Operation Pitting. A further 1,500 people have been given assistance to enter the UK since the initial evacuation took place.</p><p>Those who we evacuated were a mixture of British Nationals, mixed family units and those who qualified for ARAP and who will qualify for ACRS</p><p>There are currently 12,000 in Bridging Hotel Accommodation.</p><p>To date we have successfully moved over 4,000 people into permanent accommodation and are working at pace with our Local Authority partners in order to secure permanent accommodation for those still in temporary accommodation.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 27/01/2022 12:22:03 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1402908

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Hate Crime
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to require (1) web hosting services, (2) technology companies, and (3) non-UK based service providers such as Cloudflare, to do more to identify and remove hateful content in order to protect the public; and whether they believe 'incel' content constitutes terrorism.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL5389
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2022 answer text <p>Our objective is to ensure that there are no safe spaces online for all forms of terrorists to promote or share their extreme views. To tackle terrorism online, the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit refers illegal terrorist content to tech companies for removal. Within the Home Office, we encourage tech companies to work together as one coordinated body through the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism to reduce the availability of terrorist content online.</p><p>We have also published the draft Online Safety Bill, which gives effect to the regulatory framework outlined in the Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper. The Joint Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Bill published its report on 14<sup>th</sup> December, and we will prioritise introduction of the Bill once we have carefully considered the Committee’s recommendations.</p><p>We want the internet to be a safe space for all users - we are clear that what is unacceptable offline should be unacceptable online. However, we recognise the complexities in adapting our approach against an ever-changing technological landscape. We have committed to publishing a new Hate Crime Strategy, building on our achievements under the 2016-2020 Hate Crime Action Plan, which improved the response to all forms of hate crime, including online.</p><p>Whether or not online content relates to an offence contrary to terrorism legislation is a matter for the police to investigate and will be determined by the facts of each case. The Government is however clear that the definition of terrorism within the Terrorism Act 2000 remains fit for purpose and capable of responding to modern forms of terrorism. Serious violence or the threat of serious violence for the purpose of advancing an ideological cause, including where this is inspired by incel beliefs, is capable of satisfying the definition of terrorism. This is a position supported by the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 04/02/2022 14:51:17 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1439962

	registered interest
	date	10/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Ukraine
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many visa applications they have received under the Ukraine Family Scheme to date; and how many visas have been granted.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL6874
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2022 answer text <p>General information on the number of applications currently being processed under the newly launched Ukraine Family Scheme can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage Ukraine Family Scheme: application data 23 March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 24/03/2022 17:47:58 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1461048

	registered interest
	date	10/05/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Rwanda
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what empirical evidence they collected prior to the announcement of the UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership on 14 April to support their goal of "breaking the business model of people smuggling gangs"; what evidence they have that human traffickers will be deterred and their illegal activities reduced, not just in the UK context, but globally; and what advice they have sought from other countries who have tried this outsourcing approach to refugees; in particular, the government of Israel.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL82
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>The Migration and Economic Development Partnership intends to deter dangerous journeys and illegal entry to the UK, break the business model of people smugglers and protect the lives of those they endanger.</p><p>It is anticipated that by reducing the likelihood of individuals who have travelled through safe third countries remaining in the UK as a refugee, those inclined to make these journeys are more likely to be deterred and choose instead to remain in the safe country they are in.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 24/05/2022 16:01:04 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1470015

	registered interest
	date	13/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: EU Countries
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the circumstances in which refugees who arrive in the UK after passing through an EU country can still, under certain circumstances, be returned to the first EU country they entered, under the Dublin Regulation (EU Regulation No 604/2013).
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL901
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>The UK is no longer bound by the Dublin Regulation and as such no longer returns asylum seekers under these provisions.</p><p>The UK is in discussions regarding the returns of asylum seekers to European Union Member States; however, it would not be appropriate to provide a running commentary on these negotiations.</p><p>Returns may also be agreed with partner countries on a case-by-case basis without formal agreements. This happened historically, outside of the former Dublin arrangements, and will continue to be part of the approach we apply.</p><p>Our inadmissibility provisions in the Immigration Rules give us the legal basis to declare an asylum claim as inadmissible where a person has a connection to, or has passed through, a safe country. The first returns on inadmissibility grounds have been successfully carried out.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 27/06/2022 16:45:04 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1470017

	registered interest
	date	13/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Deportation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on 14 April that they "remain firmly opposed to arrangements that seek to transfer refugees and asylum seekers to third countries in the absence of sufficient safeguards and standards".
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL903
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>Safeguards and assurances were considered throughout the development of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership between the UK and Rwanda, and have been included in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). For example, the MoU provides for the creation of a Joint Committee and a Monitoring Committee to oversee the Partnership and provide ongoing assurances.</p><p>The Home Office Country Policy and Information Team also carried out an assessment of Rwanda’s asylum system and investigated potential human rights issues. More information on its findings can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rwanda-country-policy-and-information-notes</p><p>It should be noted that the UNHCR said, in a 2020 press notice, that Rwanda has been welcoming refugees for over two decades. It added that the country offers a safe and protective environment to all asylum seekers and refugees.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 27/06/2022 16:21:02 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1470018

	registered interest
	date	13/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Home Secretary has met the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI), David Neal, since he was appointed; whether they have cancelled six scheduled meetings since his appointment; and if so, what were the reasons for the delay to the meeting taking place.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL904
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2022 answer text <p>Mr Neal has regular meetings with Ministers whose portfolios include Borders and Immigration, as well as with senior officials including the Permanent Secretaries.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 27/06/2022 16:32:58 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1471564

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Middle East
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will list all the safe and legal routes for asylum seekers from (1) Afghanistan, (2) Syria, and (3) Yemen, which would allow them to claim asylum in the UK (a) on arrival, or (b) prior to their departure from their country of origin.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL1083
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2022 answer text <p>The UK welcomes refugees and people in need of protection through its existing resettlement schemes. The government encourages eligible individuals to use established safe and legal pathways. These include the UK Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship, Mandate Resettlement Scheme, the Afghanistan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to our refugee resettlement schemes, family reunion policy allows a spouse/partner and children under 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join them here if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country.</p><p> </p><p>With worldwide displacement now standing at around 80 million people we cannot help everyone. We will, however, continue to maintain clear, well-defined safe, and legal routes for people who need protection. Access to the UK’s asylum system should be based on need, not on the ability to pay people smugglers. Those already in a safe country should claim asylum there.</p><p> </p><p>While we do not allow asylum claims from abroad, all asylum claims lodged from within the UK and admitted to the UK asylum system are given full and careful consideration so that we do not remove anyone who faces persecution or serious harm on return to their country of origin.</p><p>Our guidance for considering asylum claims is available on GOV.UK.</p><p> </p><p>More information on safe and legal routes is available via the link below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-and-borders-bill-safe-and-legal-routes-factsheet/nationality-and-borders-bill-factsheet-safe-and-legal-routes" target="_blank">Nationality and Borders Bill: Factsheet Safe and Legal Routes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 21/07/2022 11:28:46 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian