Key Facts

• New Clause 5 would grant right of abode in the UK to former British-Hong Kong service personnel and their spouses and dependents.
• Former personnel could have acquired BNO status between 1986 and 1997, providing a route to settlement through the BNO visa launched in January this year.
• The Government considers public service impacts and additional costs of granting such rights.
• The Home Office currently publishes data annually on deaths of people under its care in immigration detention.
• There were no deaths in detention in 2020 and just one in 2019 due to natural causes.
• Some individuals in the asylum and immigration system may leave the UK without informing authorities, complicating efforts to track their status or notify about their death.
• The temporary work-charity worker visa allows international volunteers to undertake unpaid voluntary fieldwork for up to 12 months.
• Volunteers must not receive any payment beyond being reimbursed for expenses incurred during their duties.
• The immigration health surcharge applies to individuals staying more than six months in the UK and has raised almost £2 billion since its introduction in 2015.
• The Government exempted health and social care workers from the immigration health charge during the pandemic.
• Volunteers and those on some other routes, such as the youth mobility scheme or standard visitor visa, may be charged for healthcare services in line with devolved health administration rules.
• The charity worker visa is subject to the immigration health charge.
• The new clause aims to place an obligation on the Government to promote British citizenship rights.
• Both UK Visas and Immigration and HM Passport Office publish information and guidance on gov.uk.
• The Home Secretary can disapply requirements in special circumstances, such as deferring biometric enrolment.
• Tom Pursglove thanks Paul Blomfield for tabling new clause 23.
• The clause would require annual summaries of safe and legal routes to refuge in the UK, including eligibility criteria and application process.
• It also requires reporting on resettlement targets each year.
• Since 2015, more than 25,000 refugees have been resettled directly from regions of conflict.
• On 25 February 2021, a commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees under the vulnerable persons resettlement scheme was completed.
• The UK announced a new resettlement scheme on 18 August to relocate up to 20,000 people at risk over the long term.
• Over 37,000 partners and children of those granted protection in the UK have been reunited since 2015.
• The amendment would extend the current 28-day period to 56 days.
• It allows the Secretary of State to prescribe a different period, but no less than 56 days.
• New Clause 24 was read for the first time.
• Extending the 'move on' period to 56 days could save between £4 million and £7 million annually.
• Local authorities would benefit from a reduction in temporary accommodation costs of more than £2 million per year.
• The average wait for a new national insurance number is 10 to 12 weeks, longer than the current 28-day 'move on' period.
• The Government has implemented several initiatives with the aim of securing better outcomes for refugees during their 28-day 'move on' period.
• Migrant Help is funded to contact refugees at the start of the 28-day period and offer practical assistance, including advice on claiming universal credit.
• All applicants for universal credit received their first payment on time (35 days from application) in a survey evaluating the scheme.
• If an application by a person (P) for entry clearance under clause [Asylum visa for persons in France] is refused, P may appeal to the First-tier Tribunal.
• The provisions of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 apply to such appeals as if they were against a decision of the Secretary of State.
• In an appeal, the First-tier Tribunal will allow it if satisfied that P is a relevant person.
• Tom Pursglove responds to new clauses proposed by Neil Coyle.
• The new clauses aim to establish a humanitarian visa route and right of appeal for certain individuals in France seeking asylum in the UK.
• Pursglove urges Coyle to withdraw the new clause.
• The new clause would require the Home Secretary to publish a strategy within two months of Royal Assent on the accommodation of asylum seekers.
• The strategy aims to ensure equitable distribution of accommodation across England, Scotland and Wales, provide financial support to local authorities, and offer legal advice and support from non-governmental bodies to accommodated asylum seekers.
• Napier barracks has been extended for five years using a special development order despite previous court rulings questioning its standards.
• Hotels are provided as a contingency due to lack of availability of other accommodation.
• NGOs have been introduced on site for assistance and advice.
• Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) may be accommodated in hotels, but not other children.
• New clause 43 seeks to amend the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
• The amendment aims to provide children suspected of being victims of modern slavery or human trafficking with independent child trafficking guardians.
• Guardians would be appointed until the age of 25 if it is in the best interests of the child.
• The new clause amends the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
• It inserts a requirement for the Chief Inspector to inspect independent guardians' performance.
• Reports must be made to the Secretary of State and Independent Guardians.
• In 2020, 47% of referrals to the national referral mechanism were children.
• 51% of referrals for UK-based exploitation were for child criminal exploitation.
• The UK received 2,756 applications for asylum from unaccompanied children in the year ending June 2021.
• Scotland and Northern Ireland have made more progress in providing comprehensive independent guardians models.
• Provision for independent child trafficking guardians exists under section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
• The Government are trialling support beyond age 18 in London, West Yorkshire and Warwickshire.
• Independent child trafficking guardians operate in two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales.
• The current policy allows asylum seekers to work after a 12-month wait if delays were not due to fault of their own.
• Asylum seekers are restricted to jobs on the shortage occupation list.
• The policy aims to protect the resident labour market and prioritize employment for British citizens and those lawfully resident in the UK.
• The government is committed to considering asylum claims without unnecessary delay.
• Those granted asylum have immediate unrestricted access to the UK labour market.
• A review of the 2018 report on asylum seeker right-to-work policy is currently under way.
• The new clause would allow extended family members to claim asylum in the UK.
• It is global in scope, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
• The Government supports family unity but emphasizes focusing resources on immediate pre-flight families.
• The number of non-straightforward cases awaiting a decision has grown rapidly since October 2018.
• Former Ministers agreed to move away from the service standard of six months from the date of claim due to the growing backlog.
• Pursglove and his colleagues want to reintroduce a service standard aligned with changes brought about by the new plan for immigration.
• The UK has entered into agreements with France in July 2021 and November 2020 regarding illegal migration.
• The Sandhurst treaty underpins the UK's illegal migration relationship with France.
• Sensitive details relating to the UK and international partners cannot be disclosed due to operational reasons.
• The Government feels unable to support the new clause.
• There is a risk that increased security could encourage smugglers to use riskier methods.
• The Secretary of State must amend the Immigration Rules within two months if the Act passes.
• The new clause aims to reduce the settlement route from 10 years to five years for children and young people who grew up in the UK.
• More than 330,000 children and young people who came to the UK as children have precarious immigration status.
• Costs for leave to remain applications have risen by 331% since 2014.
• The Home Office is planning to consolidate changes in the immigration rules within the next 12 months.
• New Clause 51 aims to amend the Children Act 1989.
• The clause includes amendments to sections 22 and 22C of the Act.
• It mandates local authorities to consider safety plans for child victims of human trafficking.
• As many as one in four identified trafficked children were reported as having gone missing in 2017.
• The average number of missing incidents for each trafficked child increased from an average of 2.4 times to 7.4 times between 2014-15 and 2017.
• A Home Office report highlighted limited availability of specialist provision and a lack of resources within local authorities regarding accommodation for child victims.
• Sarah, a looked-after child in Worcestershire social services, died at the age of 17 after being placed in inappropriate semi-independent living arrangements.
• British National (Overseas) visas may not be working as intended, especially for younger Hong Kong nationals.
• Younger pro-democracy activists face exclusion from the BNO visa scheme due to age-related restrictions on passport issuance.
• The Home Affairs Committee raised concerns about gaps and loopholes in the BNO scheme's implementation.
• The Hong Kong BNO route was launched on 31 January 2021.
• As of June 30, approximately 64,900 applications were made by BNO status holders and their family members.
• An impact assessment published on October 22, 2020 projects a net benefit to the UK of between £2.4 billion and £2.9 billion over five years.
• New clause 53 aims to probe the Government's increased use of GPS monitoring for immigration purposes.
• Concerns include lack of safeguards and limits on the use of electronic monitoring and data from GPS tracking.
• The criminal justice system has strict limits on how long electronic monitoring is used and in what circumstances.
• FOI response shows 43 cases of absconding out of 7,000 people granted bail between February 2020 and March 2021.
• Electronic monitoring was a Government manifesto commitment.
• The Immigration Act 2016 passed primary legislation for electronic monitoring of foreign national offenders.
• Compliance with bail conditions, including electronic monitoring, will be reviewed quarterly and is a major factor in deciding if it remains a condition of bail.
• The Migration Advisory Committee is an independent, non-statutory public body advising on migration issues.
• The minimum income requirement for family visas was implemented in July 2012 and has not changed since.
• The MAC recommended a pilot for remote work visas in January 2020 but the Government did not accept it.
• The UK's immigration system is designed to be single and flexible, applicable across all areas.
• The remote areas are suffering from labour shortages and economic challenges.
• There is a possibility of reviewing the salary threshold for family visas.
• The statement introduces new Schedule 19B into the Criminal Justice Act 2003.
• Amendments include inserting new subsections (1A) into sections of the Immigration Act 1971.
• The amendments clarify that 'offshore worker' and 'United Kingdom waters' have consistent meanings throughout relevant sections.
• Additional provisions are added to extend enforcement powers under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 to cover actions in territorial sea adjacent to the UK.
• The MP thanked Clerks Sarah Thatcher and Rob Page for their assistance.
• Opposition spokesmen were commended for their detailed preparation and support.
• Parliamentary Private Secretaries and officials were thanked for behind-the-scenes work.
• Multiple organisations supporting women’s rights, anti-slavery efforts, and safety initiatives are listed.