Parliament round-up: asylum and immigration
A round-up of some recent parliamentary activity:
Detention: Children in Detention
Entry Clearance Decisions
Asylum: number of applicants
Asylum: Change in student visas
Immigration: Changes in Immigration Rules – Student visas
Home Department
Written answers and statements, 31 March 2011
Damian Green (Minister of State (Immigration), Home Office; Ashford, Conservative)
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is today laying before the House a statement of changes in the immigration rules that will bring about the first of the changes to the student visa system, which I announced on 22 March.
The changes will take effect on 21 April and will introduce an interim limit on those sponsors who do not currently meet the new accreditation criteria and will limit the number of students they can sponsor. These rules changes also implement the changes to the English language requirement so that those coming to study at degree level will have to speak English at an upper-intermediate level. Others will have to speak English at an intermediate level. We are also publishing a statement of intent on the UK Border Agency website which sets out the detail of the proposed policy changes to tier 4 and I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the House Library.
This statement of changes also includes some changes to the tier 4 rules to clarify some existing rules and to bring some requirements into the rules.
We are also making some minor amendments to rules laid on 16 March, relating to prospective entrepreneurs and tier 2 intra-company transfers. We are also correcting omissions from the new criminality requirements at settlement and to clarify the application of the new settlement rules for highly skilled migrant programme participants.
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Asylum: Number of asylum applications and number of those granted
House of Lords
Written answers and statements, 30 March 2011
Lord Laird (Crossbench)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Jones on 22 March (WA 136-8)
(1) How many asylum seekers and dependants have made asylum applications since 1997?
(2) How many of those have been granted leave to remain or otherwise permitted to stay in the United Kingdom?
(3) How many have had their applications turned down?
(4) How many are still in the United Kingdom?
Baroness Neville-Jones (Minister of State (Security), Home Office; Conservative)
e.g.
- only 26% of asylum seekers recognised as refugee and granted asylum in 2009
- 52% refused asylum, HP or DL, or withdrawn by appellant in 2009
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Asylum: Failed asylum seekers voluntary return or deportation
Home Department
Written answers and statements, 29 March 2011
David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State of the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers living in Greater London (a) returned voluntarily and (b) were deported to their country of origin in the last five years.
Damian Green (Minister of State (Immigration), Home Office; Ashford, Conservative)
The data you have requested are shown in Table 1 as follows:
(Table available at theyworkforyou)
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Asylum: Finance
Home Department
Written answers and statements, 28 March 2011
Shabana Mahmood (Birmingham, Ladywood, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department paid in Initial Accommodation Wrap-around Service funding to (a) the Refugee Council, (b) the Scottish Refugee Council, (c) the Welsh Refugee Council, (d) Refugee Action and (e) Migrant Helpline in each of the last five years.
Damian Green (Minister of State (Immigration), Home Office; Ashford, Conservative)
The amount of funding provided to these organisations is detailed in the following table.
(Table)
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Entry Clearance Decisions (Removal of Full Appeal Rights)
Home Department
Written answers and statements, 24 March 2011
Damian Green (Minister of State (Immigration), Home Office; Ashford, Conservative)
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is today laying before the House a copy of the United Kingdom Border Agency report on removal of full appeal rights against refusal of entry clearance decisions under the points-based system. Copies will be available in the Vote Office and online at http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/.
To meet the requirements as set out in the Act, the report provides statistical data on entry clearance decisions and administrative review requests made, it details the processes and criteria in place under the points-based system and records opinions made by the UK Border Agency independent chief inspector. To report on the effects of removal of full appeal rights, some comparisons have been made between the appeal system and administrative review process.
- Removal of appeal rights commenced on 1 April 2008
- Replaced by a new process of Administrative Review for refusal of entry clearance decisions under the points-based system only
- Administrative Review process enables migrants “to challenge factual errors made in decision making process”
(Full report)
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Detention Centres: Children in Detention
Home Department
Written answers and statements, 23 March 2011
Stephen McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date she expects to end the practice of detaining children of failed asylum seekers.
Damian Green (Minister of State (Immigration), Home Office; Ashford, Conservative)
On 16 December 2010, the Government announced a new package to deliver our commitment to end the detention of children for immigration purposes and the immediate closure to children of the family unit at the Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre. A new approach to managing family returns has been developed which places far greater emphasis on engagement with families and aims to encourage families to leave without the need for enforcement action if they are found to have no legal right to be in the UK.
Most elements of this new process went live across the UK on 1 March 2011, including a new independent Family Returns Panel to advise the UK Border Agency on how to ensure the return of those families who do not take up the opportunities to leave under their own steam. A range of options has been developed to provide sufficient flexibility for a tailored approach to each family.
As a backstop, a new option of pre-departure accommodation is being developed for use when other options for ensuring return have failed or are not appropriate. This will have a secure perimeter but families will be allowed to leave the premises with permission after a suitable risk assessment. It will have an entirely different look and feel to an immigration removal centre with more privacy and strictly time-limited stays. Barnardo’s will deliver the key welfare, safeguarding and support services. We expect this to open in the summer.
The small number of family rooms at Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre may be used in place of the new pre-departure accommodation until May. After May, Tinsley House will only be used for those few families who are refused entry to the UK at the border and need to be held for a short time prior to their return or for criminal and other high-risk families who could not be accommodated safely in the pre-departure accommodation.
