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1012123

registered interest
date	21/11/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 9 November (HL11255), whether they will report regularly to Parliament on (1) how "comprehensive support and accurate information" are being provided to vulnerable migrants now in continental Europe, (2) the progress of their vulnerable person re-settlement scheme, and (3) the application of the Dublin Regulation to the family reunification of unaccompanied children.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL11650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/12/2018 answer text <p>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. We are in the process of transferring these funds and will continue to work with the French Government to implement this work. We will update Parliament as and when we have relevant information to share.</p><p>As of June 2018, a total of 12,851 people had been resettled in the UK under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) since it began across 288 local authorities. The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The statistics are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release</a>. We are confident that the VPRS is on track to deliver the commitment. More refugees are arriving every month and the figure for resettlement continues to rise.</p><p>On 30 November 2017, the Government published data on the numbers of children transferred to the UK from the Calais camp clearance. The data can be accessed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transfers-of-children-to-the-uk-from-the-calais-operation-november-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transfers-of-children-to-the-uk-from-the-calais-operation-november-2017</a></p><p>On 22 February 2018, the Home Office published data on the number of transfers into the UK from other Dublin states. The relevant statistics can be found at as_22_q, asylum volume 5 at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables</a>. 2018 Dublin data will be published in February</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford attachment 1 file name Transfers to the UK from Calais - Oct 2016 - July 2017.xlsx title Transfers of Children to the UK from Calais Ops 2 file name Immigration Stats - Asylum Tables.xlsx title Immigration Stats - Asylum Oct-Dec 2017 question first answered 05/12/2018 17:21:57 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

998915

registered interest
date	31/10/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether asylum applicants who are required to attend regular appointments at reporting centres are now obliged to travel to Salford; and if so, why they may not attend appointments near the place where they reside.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL11165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2018 answer text <p>Asylum seekers are not required to report until they have received a negative decision on their application and when they are in receipt of support, their travel costs are met.</p><p>Individuals may be required to attend the nearest reporting centre or other location, including police stations, to their home address. There is no upper limit to the distance which an individual may be required to travel in order to attend their nearest reporting location but the Home Office assesses the needs of all types of reportees, not only asylum seekers when deciding reporting frequency and location.</p><p>As part of Immigration Enforcement’s transformation programme the Home Office is rationalising the use of reporting locations to move reportees to locations which are fully resourced to deal with each individual and their needs. We work closely with our estates partners to identify sites that provide adequate access to the public, security and accommodation that would enable us to provide a good level of service to the reporting population.</p><p>Individuals would only be required to report to Salford if this is the nearest suitable reporting location to their address.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 08/11/2018 13:19:59 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

967480

registered interest
date	04/09/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and (2) refugees of all ages, with close family members in the UK have so far been identified by UK immigration liaison officers sent to France, Italy and Greece; and how many have reached the UK as a result.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9973
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2018 answer text <p>The role of the UK liaison officers is to facilitate good working co-operation between EU Member States, including Italy, France and Greece, on asylum and immigration matters with the UK. Liaison officers are not involved in identifying children under Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016, as it is a matter for our partner states to refer children who meet the criteria and where it is in their best interests to transfer to the UK. Liaison officers are not involved in the identification of applicants with qualifying family members either as this is also a matter for the competent national authorities of Dublin states.</p><p>On 30 November, the Government published data on the numbers of children transferred to the UK from the Calais camp clearance under both the Dublin III Regulation and section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. The data can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transfers-of-children-to-the-uk-from-the-calais-operation-november-2017</p><p>On 22 February 2018, the Home Office published data on the number of transfers into the UK from other Dublin states. The relevant statistics can be found at as_22_q, asylum volume 5 at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables. 2018 Dublin data will be published in February 2019.</p><p>We remain fully committed to delivering our commitment to transfer the specified number of 480 children under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 and are working very closely with participating States, to deliver the scheme in line with their national laws. Over 220 children are already in the UK and transfers are ongoing. We will not provide a running commentary on numbers and will publish the details once all children are in the UK.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford attachment 1 file name as_22-q - Asylum Vol 5.xlsx title Table - as_22-q Asylum Vol 5 2 file name Table - Transfers of Children to UK from the Calais Op Nov 2017.xlsx title Table - Transfers of Children to the UK-Calais op[ question first answered 13/09/2018 13:39:17 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

895040

registered interest
date	30/04/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish their response to Fair and Effective, the pamphlet by Refugee Action; and what steps they will take to assess its proposals for an improved asylum system.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL7405
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2018 answer text <p>The Government is grateful for the continued partnership with Refugee Action and others on the delivery of an effective and efficient asylum system that protects the vulnerable. However, we do not routinely provide responses to a public statement such as this one.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 08/05/2018 15:18:55 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

535599

registered interest
date	12/07/2016
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to improve the quality of initial interviews and decisions in asylum cases in order to reduce the need for appeals.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1146
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2016 answer text <p>The Home Office carefully considers all asylum claims on their individual merits and grants protection for those who genuinely need it, in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. In every asylum case the particular circumstances of the individual is considered in light of published country information.</p><p>All asylum decision-makers receive extensive training on how to consider asylum claims and are expected to follow published Home Office policy guidance. The 5-week Foundation Training Programme (FTP) for new decision makers trains staff on all aspects of the asylum decision making process. All decision makers are currently receiving credibility training. This course trains decision makers on how to assess the evidential value of their interview questions, the various reasons why someone may not come across as credible in an asylum interview and discusses issues such as speculation and implausibility. Asylum decision-makers carefully assess the protection needs of each asylum claimant following an interview by assessing all available evidence provided by the claimant in light of published country information and policy guidance. The Home Office systematically assesses the quality of asylum decisions against a detailed quality audit framework drawn up and agreed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.</p><p>We expect asylum claimants to disclose all relevant evidence to support their claim at the earliest opportunity so that we can properly consider their claim. We aim to reduce the appeal rate by analysing the reasons why appeals are allowed and using this to further improve guidance and training. We are committed to continuous improvement.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 26/07/2016 15:45:52 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

457923

registered interest
date	07/03/2016
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Bates on 2 March (HL Deb, col 824), what qualifications they consider to be adequate for persons conducting the substantive interviews of asylum applicants, with authority to recommend acceptance or rejection of their claims; and what assessment they have made of whether gap-year and undergraduate students, after five weeks of training, have sufficient maturity and empathy to take such decisions.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL6741
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2016 answer text <p>Decision makers working on asylum casework are graded at Executive Officer level except in the suspended Detained Fast Track operation where the predominate grade is Higher Executive Officer due to the requirement on some decision makers to also present appeals. The general entry requirement for direct recruitment to either grade is a minimum of 2 GCE A Level passes A-C and 5 GCSE passes including Mathematics and English. We have also employed staff on temporary contracts but have required them to have a minimum 2:2 Degree, preferably in law.</p><p>We recruit high performing students from various universities as asylum decision makers on fixed term appointments and since 2009 have employed 11 law undergraduates of whom 2 are still employed. Applicants send in their CVs, and these are used to inform an initial sift of applications. Successful candidates are then invited to a competency based interview with Home Office staff which tests their maturity and suitability to carry out the role.</p><p>At the end of the 5 week training, that all decision makers receive, there is a six month period of mentoring, continued assessment and quality analysis of newly qualified decision maker’s work that identifies whether an individual is performing the role to the required quality standards. Before any individual is signed off their initial probationary period and confirmed in role they must be considered to be performing the role to the previously referenced quality standards.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 11/03/2016 14:45:02 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

427453

registered interest
date	10/11/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether British missions in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, and other countries have received applications for family reunion and asylum in Britain; and if so, what action they have taken to respond to them.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3497
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2015 answer text <p>Applications for family reunion visas can be made in Visa Application Centres across the globe. There are such centres in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Italy and Greece. Should any mission receive queries about applying for a family reunion visa the applicant will be directed to the online application process. UKVI aims to decide all family reunion visa applications within 12 weeks of submission as per it’s customer services standard.</p><p>An individual must be in the UK to claim asylum. There is no obligation on the UK to consider applications or enquiries made on behalf of people abroad about asylum in the UK and there is no provision in the Immigration Rules for someone to be given permission to travel to the UK to seek asylum.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 19/11/2015 15:28:20 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

418613

registered interest
date	14/09/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will issue fresh guidance on the Dublin III Agreement concerning asylum applicants, in particular about family reunions.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL2205
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2015 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to change its policy on the application of the Dublin and Eurodac Regulations. Guidance to officials is under review in order to reflect current organisational structures and wider departmental procedures: an updated version will be published once the review has been completed.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 21/09/2015 15:37:58 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

417473

registered interest
date	08/09/2015
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether adults in receipt of five-year humanitarian protection in the United Kingdom will be allowed to work; and what provision will be made for their education or training.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL2069
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2015 answer text <p>People who have been granted five years’ humanitarian protection in the United Kingdom, including Syrian nationals admitted under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, have permission to work and access to broadly the same rights, benefits, education and training as British nationals.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 21/09/2015 15:36:46 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

168453

registered interest
date	08/12/2014
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements to the procedures of the Detained Fast Track for the better protection of applicants they have introduced since the decision of the High Court on 9 July 2014.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3483
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>In July 2014 the High Court upheld the principle of a Detained Fast Track (DFT) process as lawful. However, the Court found that the DFT process as operated carried an “unacceptable risk of unfairness” with regard to vulnerable applicants within the system. This was primarily because they were not guaranteed access to lawyers sufficiently soon after induction to enable instructions to be taken and advice to be given before the substantive interview. The Home Office took immediate steps to address this and other criticisms of the process.</p><p> </p><p>Screening:</p><p>The judgment observed that the current asylum screening process did not do enough to identify and exclude from DFT vulnerable people or those with particularly complex claims. We have since changed the questions asked in the screening interview to help address this issue and there is an ongoing review of the screening process that incorporates discussions and input from external stakeholders.</p><p> </p><p>Detention Centre Rule 35:</p><p>Detention Centre Rule 35 requires doctors in immigration removal centres to issue reports to Home Office officials with responsibility for authorising, maintaining and reviewing detention, if they have concerns about issues of particular vulnerability. Those issues include particular ill-health, suicide risk and concerns that the detainee may have been a victim of torture. Whilst acknowledging that a Rule 35 report issued by a medical practitioner relating to possible torture concerns may sometimes reflect only the detainee’s own claim and so not require automatic release, the judgment nonetheless concluded that the evidence did not show the process to operate as well as it should.</p><p>Releases can and do result from Rule 35 reports and a recent sampling exercise has reconfirmed this position and identified some other issues for improvement. We have already taken steps to improve awareness of existing process requirements. We have consulted external partners on improvements to the operation of Rule 35 and further measures will introduced in the coming months to ensure that the process operates as effectively as possible.</p><p> </p><p>Access to legal representation:</p><p>The judgment stated that in some cases, legal representatives were allocated to asylum applicants too late in the DFT process, which was considered significant enough to carry a high risk of unfairness for those who may be vulnerable. On the 14th and 15th of July the Home Office implemented new arrangements, that ensured that legal representatives were are allocated to asylum claimants that require them (around 50% of asylum claimants arrive with a lawyer already) on the day of induction to DFT or, where that is not possible, no later than 2 working days after induction. In addition we are now ensuring that there are 4 clear working days between the allocation of a lawyer and the asylum interview except where the asylum claimant and lawyer advise that they want an earlier interview.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 18/12/2014 15:17:54 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton