Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Migration: Safe and Legal Routes

Monday 8 June 2026 · 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government committed to new safe and legal routes for migrants in the "Restoring Order and Control" statement.
  • Student refugee route will open in autumn 2027, with arrivals planned for autumn 2028.
  • Minister working with stakeholders to extend the community sponsorship scheme, further details to be announced.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Perran Moon Lab Camborne and Redruth
Immigration NHS
Context

The community sponsorship scheme has been offering safe homes to refugees, raising expectations for an extension of the programme.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to introduce new safe and legal routes for migrants. In recent years, families across Cornwall have been offering safe and welcoming homes to Syrian and Afghan refugees through the community sponsorship scheme. Without using the words “dreckly”, “mañana” or “in due course”, can the Minister specify when the community sponsorship scheme will be extended, as promised?

Answer from Alex Norris

The Government committed to new safe and legal routes in the “Restoring Order and Control” statement, and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced that the student refugee route will open this autumn, with arrivals in autumn 2027. We are working with partners to design new routes to ensure they are safe and controlled, but no specific timeline is provided for extending the community sponsorship scheme.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific timeline was given for extending the community sponsorship scheme.

How: In Due Course

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Q2 Perran Moon Lab Camborne and Redruth
Asylum & Refugees
Context

The community sponsorship scheme has been offering safe homes to refugees, raising expectations for an extension of the programme.

Question

In recent years, families across Cornwall have been offering safe and welcoming homes to Syrian and Afghan refugees through the community sponsorship scheme. Without using the words “dreckly”, “mañana” or “in due course”, can the Minister specify when the community sponsorship scheme will be extended, as promised?

Answer from Alex Norris

We are working with stakeholders on what that looks like but getting this right is crucial to the programme's success. Further details will be set out in due course.

Not addressed: No specific timeline or commitment was provided for extending the community sponsorship scheme.

How: In Due Course

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Q3 Gideon Amos Lib Dem Taunton and Wellington
Immigration NHS
Context

Dr Alasttal in the constituency faces an issue where his wife, being in Gaza, cannot join him due to travel restrictions.

Question

Dr Alasttal in my constituency is doing vital medical work. In normal circumstances, his wife would be allowed to visit him on the appropriate visa, but because she is in Gaza and would have to travel to Israel or to other cities to give biometric information, she cannot visit or join him here. Will the Government change the rules in the way they did for Chevening scholars, so that people in Gaza can give biometric details in other ways?

Answer from Alex Norris

I cannot speak to that individual case but I recognise the challenges where no visa centres are open in areas of conflict. We have taken what I think is a quite pragmatic and flexible approach, not just with students but medical evacuations as well. If the hon. Gentleman is able to write me and the Minister for Migration and Citizenship, we will look at that case accordingly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No commitment was made to change visa rules or provide a general solution.

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