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1356745

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to prevent illegal channel crossings in small boats.
tabling member constituency	Darlington
tabling member printed	Peter Gibson
uin	51847
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2021 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer given to the Member for Romford on 20 September. These crossings are dangerous and unnecessary, and we are determined to bring them to an end and to tackle the criminality behind them.</p><p>From January to September 2021, Immigration Enforcement has arrested 46 individuals engaged in small boats activity, with 8 individuals already convicted and a further 94 investigations ongoing. Recognising that much of the criminality involved lies outside of the UK, we are also supporting wider law enforcement activity to tackle the threat of organised immigration crime. In its first 12 months, the Joint Intelligence Cell was involved in almost 300 arrests relating to small boats activity in France.</p><p>We must ensure that those involved in people smuggling are punished with the severity it rightly deserves. The Nationality and Borders Bill (Nationality and Borders Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament (https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3023)) will enable this and will also act as a much stronger deterrent for those tempted to pursue that despicable path. These long overdue reforms will break the business model of the criminal trafficking networks and make their activities unviable.</p><p>There remains an immediate challenge and a need to stop the boats leaving France in the first place and we are working closely with the French to tackle these crossings, both on a policy and operational level. In July 2021 UK/French joint action led to strengthened law enforcement deployments along the coast of France, more than doubling again equipped police resource focused on addressing illegal migration; enhanced intelligence-sharing; greater use of surveillance technology; and more border security at key transport infrastructure along the Channel coast.</p><p>Progress so far this year between January and September 2021 has resulted in the French stopping more than 15,000 people from crossing. This is a significant increase on the same point last year.</p><p>Our New Plan for Immigration will address the challenge of illegal migration for the first time in over two decades through comprehensive reform of our asylum system, making big changes and building a new system that is fair but firm.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 29/10/2021 09:21:24 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4754 label Biography information for Peter Gibson

1356761

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Afghanistan
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Notices of Intent have been issued to Afghan asylum seekers in the UK (a) prior to and (b) since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on 15 August 2021.
tabling member constituency	North Down
tabling member printed	Stephen Farry
uin	51893
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p /><p /><p /><p /><p>The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of notices of intent issued and can be found online at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2021/how-many-people-do-we-grant-asylum-or-protection-to#inadmissibility" target="_blank">How many people do we grant asylum or protection to? - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p>A breakdown of these figures into nationality is not currently available.Afghan asylum seekers continue to be issued with notices of intent where appropriate. Inadmissibility rules apply to all nationals where it is considered that there has been an earlier presence or connection to a safe third country.</p><p>We have been clear that people should claim asylum in the first safe country that they reach and should not seek to enter the UK illegally. Our New Plan for Immigration underpins this principle.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 28/09/2021 16:23:42 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4856 label Biography information for Stephen Farry

1356764

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Afghanistan
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to issue Afghan asylum seekers in the UK with Notices of Intent, in response to the Taliban takeover of August 2021.
tabling member constituency	North Down
tabling member printed	Stephen Farry
uin	51894
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of notices of intent issued and can be found online at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2021/how-many-people-do-we-grant-asylum-or-protection-to#inadmissibility" target="_blank">How many people do we grant asylum or protection to? - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)</a></p><p>A breakdown of these figures into nationality is not currently available.</p><p>Afghan asylum seekers continue to be issued with notices of intent where appropriate. Inadmissibility rules apply to all nationals where it is considered that there has been an earlier presence or connection to a safe third country.</p><p>We have been clear that people should claim asylum in the first safe country that they reach and should not seek to enter the UK illegally. Our New Plan for Immigration underpins this principle.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 51893 question first answered 28/09/2021 16:23:42 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4856 label Biography information for Stephen Farry

1356765

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Afghanistan
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan refugees have arrived in the UK since the UK military's final evacuation from Kabul airport.
tabling member constituency	North Down
tabling member printed	Stephen Farry
uin	51895
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2021 answer text <p>None of the Afghans evacuated during Op PITTING are considered refugees within the international law meaning. Those resettled in the UK via the ARAP scheme, and those provided with LOTR in advance of their admission to the ACRS have indefinite leave to remain under the appropriate resettlement scheme. An individual is only considered a refugee by UNHCR for the purpose of our UK Resettlement Scheme or once their claim for asylum in the UK has been assessed and accepted.</p><p>Since the end of the evacuation we have relocated a small number of Afghan nationals to the United Kingdom under other schemes, but the figure for ARAP and others is around 7000 Locally Employed Staff and their family members have been relocated to the UK, since the first ARAP flight on 22 June.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 18/10/2021 11:50:29 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4856 label Biography information for Stephen Farry

1356772

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration Controls: Marriage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a British citizen seeking to bring a fiancé to the UK is required to provide proof that the couple have previously met in person.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	51592
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>A British citizen who wishes to sponsor their foreign national fiancé or proposed civil partner to enter the UK and reside here permanently under the family Immigration Rules must provide evidence to confirm the couple have met in person.</p><p>Further guidance on the fiancé or proposed civil partner visa can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fiancees-set01/fiancees-set01#set114-what-to-do-after-an-initial-refusal-on-the-grounds-of-not-having-met" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fiancees-set01/fiancees-set01#set114-what-to-do-after-an-initial-refusal-on-the-grounds-of-not-having-met</a></p><p>A British citizen who does not wish to reside permanently in the UK with their fiancé can apply for them to enter as a visitor to conduct their wedding. There are no specific provisions under the visitor Rules for the couple to have met in person prior to their application. However, the couple will be expected to prove their relationship is genuine, which having not met in person may call into doubt, however each case is considered based on its individual circumstances.</p><p>Further information on the marriage visitor Rules can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor</a></p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 28/09/2021 12:45:49 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

1356778

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Hospitality Industry
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing a covid recovery visa for the hospitality sector.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	51821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>Home Office Ministers and officials meet with a broad range of stakeholders including various sectors and other Government departments. The Government position remains we will not be introducing a short-term visa route such as the ‘Covid recovery visa’ as has been suggested.</p><p>Most of the solutions are likely to be driven by industry, with a big push towards improving pay, conditions and diversity needed, rather than turning to the Home Office for immigration policy changes as an alternative to doing this. Employers with recruitment issues should therefore engage with the Department for Work and Pensions about the support they can provide in recruiting from the UK Labour Market,</p><p>The Points Based System does provide for occupations within the agri-food sector, including butchers, a range of poultry roles and fishmongers, subject to the requirements of the system – including English language and salary – being met. An occupation does not need to be on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa</p><p>Beyond the Points Based System, there is the existing UK labour market, which includes those who come to the UK through our Youth Mobility Schemes (which we are looking to expand), our new British National (Overseas) visa for those from Hong Kong, dependants of those arriving under the expanded skilled worker route, as well as over 6 million applications under the EU Settlement Scheme and those who arrive through family routes, who all have access to the UK labour market.</p><p>As a transitional measure, to help farm businesses adjust to changes to the UK labour market, the Seasonal Workers Pilot was extended into this year with 30,000 visas available. Decisions on the future of the pilot will be taken in due course, following evaluation of the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 51822 question first answered 28/09/2021 12:43:52 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1356782

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Food
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the shortage occupation list, what discussions she has had with stakeholders in the food and drink sector on labour shortages in the food supply chain; and what steps she is taking to resolve those shortages in the short term.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	51822
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>Home Office Ministers and officials meet with a broad range of stakeholders including various sectors and other Government departments. The Government position remains we will not be introducing a short-term visa route such as the ‘Covid recovery visa’ as has been suggested.</p><p>Most of the solutions are likely to be driven by industry, with a big push towards improving pay, conditions and diversity needed, rather than turning to the Home Office for immigration policy changes as an alternative to doing this. Employers with recruitment issues should therefore engage with the Department for Work and Pensions about the support they can provide in recruiting from the UK Labour Market,</p><p>The Points Based System does provide for occupations within the agri-food sector, including butchers, a range of poultry roles and fishmongers, subject to the requirements of the system – including English language and salary – being met. An occupation does not need to be on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa</p><p>Beyond the Points Based System, there is the existing UK labour market, which includes those who come to the UK through our Youth Mobility Schemes (which we are looking to expand), our new British National (Overseas) visa for those from Hong Kong, dependants of those arriving under the expanded skilled worker route, as well as over 6 million applications under the EU Settlement Scheme and those who arrive through family routes, who all have access to the UK labour market.</p><p>As a transitional measure, to help farm businesses adjust to changes to the UK labour market, the Seasonal Workers Pilot was extended into this year with 30,000 visas available. Decisions on the future of the pilot will be taken in due course, following evaluation of the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 51821 question first answered 28/09/2021 12:43:52 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1356818

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Youth Mobility Scheme: EU Countries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Youth Mobility Visa to the EU to help tackle skills shortages in certain industries in the UK.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	51761
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>Our Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) agreements provide a valuable route for mutual cultural exchange and are not simply a one-way route for recruiting cheaper labour from overseas. We will therefore not add nations to the YMS route unilaterally.</p><p>We are open to negotiating YMS arrangements with other countries and territories, including the EU or nations within it. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal agreement which also provides benefit to UK Nationals, with the detail negotiated and agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of ongoing negotiations with partner countries as they occur.</p><p>Further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced once they are concluded.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 28/09/2021 12:51:06 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1356819

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Youth Mobility Scheme: EU Countries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the potential merits of extending the Youth Mobility Visa to the EU to help tackle skills shortages.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	51762
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2021 answer text <p>The Home Office and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are in regular contact regarding a wide array of issues, including the skills shortages in the UK.</p><p>Our Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) agreements provide a valuable route for mutual cultural exchange and are not simply a one-way route for recruiting labour from overseas. We will therefore not add nations to the YMS route unilaterally.</p><p>We are open to negotiating YMS arrangements with other countries and territories, including the EU or nations within it. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal agreement which also provides benefit to UK Nationals, with the detail negotiated and agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of ongoing negotiations with partner countries as they occur.</p><p>Further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced once they are concluded.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 27/09/2021 10:38:57 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1356822

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of illegal small boat Channel crossings.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	51680
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2021 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer given to the Member for Romford on 20 September. These crossings are dangerous and unnecessary, and we are determined to bring them to an end and to tackle the criminality behind them.</p><p>From January to September 2021, Immigration Enforcement has arrested 46 individuals engaged in small boats activity, with 8 individuals already convicted and a further 94 investigations ongoing. Recognising that much of the criminality involved lies outside of the UK, we are also supporting wider law enforcement activity to tackle the threat of organised immigration crime. In its first 12 months, the Joint Intelligence Cell was involved in almost 300 arrests relating to small boats activity in France.</p><p>We must ensure that those involved in people smuggling are punished with the severity it rightly deserves. The Nationality and Borders Bill (<a href="https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3023" target="_blank">Nationality and Borders Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament</a> (<a href="https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3023)" target="_blank">https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3023)</a>) will enable this and will also act as a much stronger deterrent for those tempted to pursue that despicable path. These long overdue reforms will break the business model of the criminal trafficking networks and make their activities unviable.</p><p>There remains an immediate challenge and a need to stop the boats leaving France in the first place and we are working closely with the French to tackle these crossings, both on a policy and operational level. In July 2021 UK/French joint action led to strengthened law enforcement deployments along the coast of France, more than doubling again equipped police resource focused on addressing illegal migration; enhanced intelligence-sharing; greater use of surveillance technology; and more border security at key transport infrastructure along the Channel coast.</p><p>Progress so far this year between January and September 2021 has resulted in the French stopping more than 15,000 people from crossing. This is a significant increase on the same point last year.</p><p>Our New Plan for Immigration will address the challenge of illegal migration for the first time in over two decades through comprehensive reform of our asylum system, making big changes and building a new system that is fair but firm.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 28/10/2021 16:44:11 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord