Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Asylum Application Backlog

Monday 14 November 2022 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial pressure on the asylum system has led to challenges in communication with local partners.
  • The Home Secretary committed to working on improving processes for vulnerable asylum seekers.
  • International cooperation, such as the measure signed with France, is seen as vital to addressing the asylum issue.
  • Local authorities with expertise in procuring accommodation are not currently contracted by the Home Office for asylum seeker housing.
  • Labour MPs have criticized the Nationality and Borders Act for its unworkability and its impact on asylum seekers.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Asylum & Refugees
Context

Earl Shilton hotel was identified to address the asylum backlog but faced health and safety issues. Asylum seekers were placed in this hotel without proper communication with local authorities.

Question

A hotel in Earl Shilton has twice been identified as a way of dealing with the asylum backlog, but it failed due to health and safety concerns about fire. I was surprised when constituents confirmed seeing asylum seekers there despite no information from councils or police. After contacting the Home Office, confirmation took 72 hours. This is unacceptable. What will be done to prevent this in other constituencies? Will she meet me to discuss Earl Shilton?

Answer from Suella Braverman

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. We have experienced unprecedented pressure on the system recently, responding has been challenging. We inform local partners of our actions but sometimes fall short due to recent pressure. A direct communication has been sent and we want to improve engagement with better understanding and support for affected communities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific commitments or timelines were provided.

How: We Are Working To Improve

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Q2 Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Asylum & Refugees Safeguarding & DBS
Context

At least four sexual assaults on children have occurred in hotels due to the asylum backlog. Officials committed to provide details of safeguarding requirements if given permission by Ministers.

Question

If the Home Secretary is confident that she is doing everything possible to fulfill her duty of care for vulnerable children, will she give permission and publish details of the safeguarding requirements?

Answer from Suella Braverman

I have been very straight in saying that our asylum system needs improvement. We are working intensively to improve processes, duties, and the discharge of those concerned whether adults or children, or other vulnerable people. There has been unprecedented pressure on the system but we are working apace to procure alternative accommodation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific commitment to publish safeguarding details was given.

How: We Are Working Intensively

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Q3 Stella Creasy Labour (Co-op) Walthamstow
Asylum & Refugees
Context

Clearing the processing backlog and controlling illegal immigration require intensive hard work and international cooperation.

Question

Clearing the processing backlog is key to solving the asylum problem. The other key is controlling the source of the problem, which requires painstaking hard work like the measure signed by the Home Secretary in Paris today with Mr Macron.

Answer from Suella Braverman

I am grateful for my right hon. Friend's support and input on this challenging issue. He is absolutely right that there is no single solution to the problem, international co-operation is a vital part of it. I was pleased to visit Manston with him a few weeks ago.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q4 Roger Gale Con Herne Bay and Sandwich
Asylum & Refugees
Context

Over 3,500 asylum seekers in Hounslow are waiting for determination on their applications, some for years. They face substandard conditions and Clearspring Ready Homes is profiteering from the situation.

Question

Why will she not contract with local authorities that have expertise in procuring accommodation to ensure basic standards and safeguarding? The Home Secretary admits there is a challenge here.

Answer from Suella Braverman

There are many plans afoot to try to improve the processing of asylum claims. We need to reduce reliance on hotels, improve productivity within the system and prevent journeys in the first place. Huge levels of work ongoing, encourage support for those plans.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific commitment to contract with local authorities was given.

How: Huge Levels Of Work Ongoing

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Q5 Ruth Cadbury Lab Brentford and Isleworth
Asylum & Refugees
Context

The hotel in Earl Shilton was identified to address the asylum backlog but failed due to health and safety concerns. Asylum seekers were placed there without proper communication with local authorities.

Question

A hotel in Earl Shilton has twice been identified as a way of dealing with the asylum backlog, but it failed due to health and safety concerns about fire. I was surprised when constituents confirmed seeing asylum seekers there despite no information from councils or police. After contacting the Home Office, confirmation took 72 hours. This is unacceptable. What will be done to prevent this in other constituencies? Will she meet me to discuss Earl Shilton?

Answer from Suella Braverman

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. We have experienced unprecedented pressure on the system recently, responding has been challenging. We inform local partners of our actions but sometimes fall short due to recent pressure. A direct communication has been sent and we want to improve engagement with better understanding and support for affected communities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific commitments or timelines were provided.

How: We Are Working To Improve

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Q6 Stephen Kinnock Lab Aberafan Maesteg
Immigration Asylum & Refugees
Context

The Nationality and Borders Act established a new category of asylum seekers who are not permitted to claim asylum in Britain and should be removed. However, due to the lack of returns agreement with France and the unworkability of the Rwanda policy, 16,000 people remain stuck in limbo.

Question

The Nationality and Borders Act establishes a new category of asylum seekers that the Government claim are not permitted to claim asylum in Britain and should therefore be removed. However, because the Government have failed to secure a returns agreement with France, and due to the unworkability of their Rwanda policy, 16,000 people in this category are stuck in limbo waiting an additional six months for a decision at significant cost to British taxpayers. Of those 16,000 waiting, only 21 have been returned since the Act's implementation. Does the Government accept that its own legislation is causing further delays, costs, and chaos while failing to remove failed asylum seekers without right of residence?

Answer from Suella Braverman

I find it staggering that Labour Members seem to love complaining about the system but when we introduced laws to fix it, they opposed them every step of the way. We wanted to make it easier to deport foreign national offenders; Labour voted against it. We wanted to fix our asylum system; Labour voted against it. We secured a ground-breaking agreement with Rwanda; Labour would scrap it. Labour Members are very good at complaining but have no solution at all.

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the specific issue of delays and costs caused by their policies.

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