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1624534

	registered interest
	date	27/04/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Immigration: Sponsorship
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for adopting systems similar to (1) Humanitarian Parole, and (2) the Welcome Corps, used in the USA, in the UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL7511
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The UK has an approach in place to support individuals who do not meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules but where there are exceptional and compassionate reasons for allowing them to remain here. Discretionary Leave allows an individual to be granted leave outside the Immigration Rules if they do not qualify for refugee status or humanitarian protection, or due to exceptional circumstances relating to their family or private life.</p><p>The UK already operates two sponsorship schemes which share similarities with the United States’ Welcome Corps initiative. The first is the Community Sponsorship Scheme, launched in 2016, which enables civil society to directly support refugees resettled to the UK through identifying housing and providing integration support. This scheme provides sanctuary to refugees identified and referred by UNHCR for resettlement directly from regions of conflict and instability.</p><p>The second is Homes for Ukraine, which launched last year in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor in the UK who is willing to accommodate them for a minimum of six months.</p> answering member printed Lord Murray of Blidworth question first answered 15/05/2023 16:10:54 answering member 4950 label Biography information for Lord Murray of Blidworth
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1602186

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Afghanistan and Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to arrange preliminary interviews for Afghan and Syrian refugees seeking asylum in Britain in (1) France, and (2) Belgium.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL6198
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2023 answer text <p>There is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. Whilst the Home Office sympathises with individuals in many difficult situations around the world, it is not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.</p><p>Our resettlement schemes already provide safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the UK. The UK welcomes people at risk through the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Mandate Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship and the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme.</p> answering member printed Lord Murray of Blidworth question first answered 21/03/2023 17:02:18 answering member 4950 label Biography information for Lord Murray of Blidworth
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1601221

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2023
	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 His Majesty's Government whether they will notify Afghan refugees in the UK starting with those who arrived under the Afghans Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 3 of how they can apply to be reunited with close family members, regardless of where such family members are now located.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL6117
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2023 answer text <p>In line with our existing policy, those resettled under the ACRS may be able to be accompanied by their immediate family members (their spouse or partner, and dependent children under 18).</p><p>The government remains committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan. The situation is very complex and presents significant challenges, including how those who are eligible for resettlement in the UK can leave Afghanistan.</p><p>This includes the eligible family members of those being resettled under the ACRS. For those evacuated from Afghanistan under the ACRS without their immediate family members, further information will be made available in due course about options for reuniting with them.</p> answering member printed Lord Murray of Blidworth question first answered 17/03/2023 13:38:22 answering member 4950 label Biography information for Lord Murray of Blidworth
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1588993

	registered interest
	date	23/02/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Prostitution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage and develop safe and stable ways for people to leave prostitution and sex work and to find alternative work.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL5839
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2023 answer text <p>We believe that people who want to leave prostitution and sex work should be given every opportunity to find routes out. Where someone wishes to exit prostitution or sex work, we would seek to support them to achieve this, as we know that there can be particular barriers to exiting. We continue to work with the police, Crown Prosecution Service and others to ensure that this is the focus.</p><p>As the Bristol University research on the nature and prevalence of sex work and prostitution shows, activity is increasingly moving online. We are providing £1.36m over the next three years to ‘Changing Lives’ to better understand the levels and types of online abuse and exploitation that are happening, and why, and identify and develop the pathways that are needed to improve support.</p><p>Victims of Modern Slavery have access to DWPs mainstream employment support where they qualify for income related benefits. This includes the Work and Health Programme, Restart and Sector Based Work Academy Programmes. To support everyone seeking alternative work, the Find a job service has over 170,000 job vacancies across a wide range of industries.</p><p>In addition to this, to protect the most vulnerable we are increasing benefits in line with inflation. This means that, subject to Parliamentary approval, they will rise by September Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation – 10.1%. Furthermore, we are making cost of living payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) to more than 8 million low-income households on Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Pension Credit, with £150 to individuals receiving disability benefits.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 06/03/2023 16:42:33 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1581671

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Exploitation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to address, and (2) to prevent, cases in the UK of (a) forced labour, (b) people trafficking, and (c) exploitation of domestic workers from overseas countries.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL5212
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2023 answer text <p>The Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery and through the Modern Slavery Act 2015, we have given law enforcement agencies the tools to tackle modern slavery, including maximum life sentences for perpetrators and enhanced protection for victims. Modern slavery is a complex crime that requires an end-to-end response both nationally and internationally – and that is why we are investing in a multi-agency approach across a range of activities, which include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Setting up a Modern Slavery Fund in 2016 to reduce modern slavery in the UK and overseas. Between 2016 and March 2022, £32.6m of Official Development Assistance has been invested, including in projects to strengthen law enforcement responses; protect victims from re-trafficking; and prevent people from being trafficked from countries where high numbers of people are trafficked to the UK;</li><li>Introducing, in 2016, tools to tackle businesses who repeatedly or recklessly commit labour market offences and expanding the role and remit of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority in 2017, giving specially trained officers new police powers to prevent, detect and investigate serious labour exploitation across the entire economy. The Government spends £33 million a year on state enforcement of employment rights;</li><li>Supporting the police to improve the national response to modern slavery and organised immigration crime through £16.5m of funding since 2016, to the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit to provide a bespoke intelligence hub, improved training and regional operational coordinators to support individual police forces;</li><li>Cracking down on county lines gangs who are exploiting children. This includes up to £5m to fund specialist support provided by Catch22 for under 25s who are criminally exploited and trafficked through county lines in specific areas;</li><li>Investing in research into what works to prevent slavery, as well as assessing risks of modern slavery in policy development, to ensure that opportunities for exploitation are minimised; and</li><li>Designing the Immigration Rules governing our Overseas Domestic Worker route to prevent the importation of exploitative practices to the UK.</li></ul> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 13/02/2023 11:08:59 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1580947

	registered interest
	date	25/01/2023
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide independent guardians or advocates for all migrant children separated from their parents; if so, when they expect this to be offered throughout England and Wales; and whether specialist foster parents will be available.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL5076
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2023 answer text <p>This Government takes its responsibility for the welfare of migrant children very seriously. We have comprehensive statutory and policy safeguards in place for caring for and safeguarding unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).</p><p>Social workers and the courts are best placed to make decisions for vulnerable children, in consideration of all the factors involved in often complex cases. Children should be cared for in a way that recognises and respects their identity and carers should be given the training and support they need to meet the child’s needs.</p><p>Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area, including their mental health and emotional wellbeing needs, regardless of their immigration status. Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) are provided in addition to this statutory support and are an additional source of advice and support for potentially trafficked children, irrespective of nationality, and somebody who can advocate on their behalf.</p><p>Due to the specialist nature of the ICTG service there is currently no intention to expand the scope to include all young asylum-seeking children in England and Wales whether or not they are separated from their parents.</p><p>There are other provisions already in place to provide support for migrant children. Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children can access legal advice from qualified legal representatives and, in England, independent advice and assistance on the asylum process and in their interactions with government agencies is available from the Refugee Council’s Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children Support Service (IUSS).</p> answering member printed Lord Murray of Blidworth question first answered 08/02/2023 17:56:31 answering member 4950 label Biography information for Lord Murray of Blidworth
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1580948

	registered interest
	date	25/01/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Slavery
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what protection, if any, is provided to persons receiving a Conclusive Grounds Decision from the National Referrals Mechanism.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL5077
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2023 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring that the National Referral Mechanism effectively supports genuine victims to recover from their modern slavery experience and to support the prosecution of their exploiters.</p><p> </p><p>Following a positive Conclusive Grounds decision, if a victim is being supported by the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract, they will receive accommodation, financial support, and access to a support worker where necessary, until they no longer have a recovery need for this support, or until their recovery needs are met by alternative services.</p><p> </p><p>It is also a government priority to increase prosecutions of perpetrators of modern slavery. That is why we have made clear, for the first time in legislation, that where a public authority, such as the police, is pursuing an investigation or criminal proceedings, confirmed victims who are co-operating in this activity and need to remain in the UK in order to do so, will be granted temporary permission to stay if it is necessary for them to be in the UK to support the investigation.</p> answering member printed Lord Murray of Blidworth question first answered 07/02/2023 14:29:28 answering member 4950 label Biography information for Lord Murray of Blidworth
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1568388

	registered interest
	date	18/01/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Windrush Compensation Scheme
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how much total compensation they have paid out so far to those affected by the Windrush scandal.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL4863
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2023 answer text <p>As at the end of November 2022, the total amount paid or offered to claimants through the Windrush Compensation Scheme had increased to over £62.42 million. Of this total, £52.76 million had been paid across 1,377 claims and a further £9.66 million had been offered, awaiting acceptance, or pending review.</p> answering member printed Lord Murray of Blidworth question first answered 01/02/2023 17:43:59 answering member 4950 label Biography information for Lord Murray of Blidworth
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1567847

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2023
	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 His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to develop, in conjunction with (1) the Refugee Council, and (2) Safe Passage, a system for reuniting Afghan families, as was done for Ukrainian families; and if not, why not.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL4824
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2023 answer text <p>In line with our existing policy, those resettled under Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and relocated under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) may be able to be accompanied by their immediate family members.</p><p>The government remains committed to providing protection for vulnerable people fleeing Afghanistan. However, the situation is very complex and presents significant challenges, including how those who are eligible for resettlement in the UK can leave the country. This includes the eligible family members of those being resettled under the ACRS. For those evacuated from Afghanistan under the ACRS without their immediate family members, further information will be made available in due course about options for reuniting with them.</p><p>Those referred by UNHCR under the ACRS will have refugee status and will therefore be able to access the refugee family reunion route.</p><p>Those without refugee status wishing to bring family members would need to apply through the regular family visa route under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.</p> answering member printed Lord Murray of Blidworth question first answered 01/02/2023 11:42:33 answering member 4950 label Biography information for Lord Murray of Blidworth
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1567848

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Employment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government why asylum applicants are not permitted to apply for permission to work after six months in the UK, given the current labour shortages.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL4825
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2023 answer text <p>Asylum seekers are allowed to work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List.</p><p>It is important to distinguish between those who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. Asylum seekers do not need to make perilous journeys in order to seek employment in the UK. There are various safe and legal routes for those seeking to work in the UK under the Points Based System.</p> answering member printed Lord Murray of Blidworth question first answered 01/02/2023 11:41:58 answering member 4950 label Biography information for Lord Murray of Blidworth
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton