Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Visitor Visa Applications: Potential Barriers

Monday 14 November 2022 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Imran Hussain questioned the Home Office about higher rejection rates for visitor visas for individuals from Pakistan and Bangladesh, alleging potential racial or religious bias.
  • Imran Hussain inquired about his constituent's niece, Faith, from Sierra Leone, seeking a visa to join her legal guardian in the UK, and requested the Minister to review the case personally.
  • Luke Hall asked the Government to publish a review of over 6,000 golden visas issued before their discontinuation, regarding potential national security risks.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Imran Hussain Lab Bradford East
Immigration
Context

The question arises from concerns over the high rejection rates of Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals for visitor visas, despite overall low rejection rates.

Question

According to the Home Office's figures, just under 20% of total accepted and rejected visitor visa applications were rejected. However, for those of Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationality, this rate rises to 30%. Does the Minister expect us to believe there is no racial or religious bias in the Home Office's decisions?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

The hon. Gentleman makes a baseless slur against my officials at the Home Office. All visa determinations are based on objective criteria. 303,000 visas and permits were granted for family members in the year ending June 2022, which is 61% more than in 2019.

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Q2 Imran Hussain Lab Bradford East
Immigration
Context

A constituent's niece, Faith, is in Sierra Leone and requires a visa to join her legal guardian in the UK. The case has been ongoing since July 2021.

Question

My constituent Mary Samuels is the legal guardian of her niece Faith, who needs a visa to join her in the UK from Sierra Leone due to risk factors there. Despite ongoing conversations with the Home Office since July 2021, will the Minister commit to personally reviewing the case and meeting me to expedite this?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

My hon. Friend has been following this exceptional case closely. The application is in its final stages, and the applicant will be notified as soon as a decision is made. I am happy to meet him if that would help.

Partly answered

How: I Can Say, But Not Comment On This Case

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Q3 Luke Hall Con
Immigration Ukraine Foreign Affairs
Context

There is a review pending to assess possible national security risks associated with more than 6,000 golden visas issued prior to their discontinuation in February 2022.

Question

Of the over 6,000 golden visas issued before they were discontinued, half are being reviewed for potential national security risks. When will the Government publish this review as called for by the Minister when he chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

My right hon. Friend has been clear that we will publish the report at the earliest opportunity, but I add this is the Government who ended golden visas and led global economic sanctions for Ukraine.

How: At The Earliest Available Opportunity

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