Tag: Lord Roberts of Llandudno

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-06-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the EU–Turkey deal on the safety and security of Syrian refugees.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The UK is committed to the successful implementation of the EU/ Turkey migration deal. The numbers of migrants arriving at Greek islands has significantly reduced since this deal came into effect and it is making genuine difference to managing the flows of migration; preventing people from dying in attempting the crossing or putting themselves in the hands of smugglers. Turkey is already hosting over 2.7 million Syrian refugees all of whom are provided with access to healthcare, education and the labour market.

We are also pleased to note that the recent agreements Turkey has reached with the European Commission and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in providing them with access to the Düziçi Camp and Kirklareli Removal Centre. The UK continues to work with Turkey to deliver further improvements to their immigration and asylum services.

In addition, the UK is contributing £250 million towards the 3 billion Euros Turkey Refugee Facility agreed by all EU Member States to help Turkey address the consequences of the Syria conflict. Our support will fund schools, hospitals and housing to meet the needs of refugees.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many migrants have been rescued by British ships because they have found themselves in difficulty crossing the Mediterranean or Adriatic seas.

Earl Howe

In total, British ships have rescued over 24,000 migrants in the Mediterranean since April 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the electoral register is as complete as possible by the end of March 2016.

Lord Bridges of Headley

We are working with Local Authorities, the Electoral Commission and Civil Society groups to find better ways of reaching and encouraging under registered groups to register, as the Minister for Constitutional Reform set out in his recent speech on voter engagement. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/vision-for-electoral-registration-speech-by-john-penrose.

Online registration is making the process notably quicker, easier and more convenient for everybody, but particularly for under-registered groups like young people; 2.9 million 16-24 year olds have applied since June 2014. Completing the implementation of Individual Electoral Registration will also help, by giving an accurate picture of registration levels that isn’t artificially inflated or flattered by people who have either died or moved away.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to make available free postal delivery to every elector of every candidate’s election communication in the forthcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections.

Lord Bridges of Headley

As set out in legislation, each candidate at an ordinary Police and Crime Commissioner election is entitled to have an election address published on a website dedicated to promoting the candidates for these polls, and an elector can request a printed version of the election addresses for the police area where they are entitled to vote to be sent to them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Dublin Regulation, in the light of recent events in Syria, and the need to protect vulnerable refugees.

Lord Bates

As set out in my Written Answer HL1907 on 21 September, the Government has no plans to change the way in which we apply the Dublin Regulation. The Dublin Regulation is a vital tool in our ability to manage asylum claims, including repeated claims.

The European Commission has proposed a review of the Dublin Regulation with a view to bringing forward a new measure for negotiation next March. We will cooperate fully with that review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the judgment in Lord Chancellor v Detention Action [2015] EWCA Civ 840, they will reconsider the sections of the Immigration Bill that provide for individuals having to appeal their cases after deportation.

Lord Bates

The judgement in Lord Chancellor v Detention Action is not relevant to the changes in the Immigration Bill. That judgment relates to the appeals processes for asylum claims under the Fast Track procedure rules. The provision in the Immigration Bill which extends the power to certify to require appeals to be brought from overseas where that will not result in a breach of human rights applies only to human rights claims.

The Court of Appeal recently considered the operation of the certification provisions that were introduced in the Immigration Act 2014, for those liable to deportation and held that the provisions were lawfully applied. The changes in the Immigration Bill extends this power to all human rights claims and the Government thinks it right to build on this successful legislation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the current migration situation, they will make changes to allow refugees to work in the United Kingdom immediately, or within six months, of arrival, in order to allow refugees to contribute to the British economy, and reduce pressure on refugees facing destitution.

Lord Bates

Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection, including those resettled under our three resettlement schemes, are entitled to work without restriction and have full access to the mainstream benefits system on the same terms as British citizens and other permanent residents in the UK. Asylum seekers are only permitted to work in the UK if their asylum claim has been outstanding for more than 12 months, providing the delay is not of their making. Employment is restricted to jobs on the shortage occupations list. We have no plans to reduce the time asylum seekers have to wait to take up employment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial support is available specifically for refugees who have been granted asylum in the United Kingdom, and are therefore ineligible for the weekly allowance for asylum seekers.

Lord Bates

Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection, including those resettled under our three resettlement schemes, are entitled to work without restriction and have full access to the mainstream benefits system on the same terms as British citizens and other permanent residents in the UK. Asylum seekers are only permitted to work in the UK if their asylum claim has been outstanding for more than 12 months, providing the delay is not of their making. Employment is restricted to jobs on the shortage occupations list. We have no plans to reduce the time asylum seekers have to wait to take up employment.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what they are doing to co-ordinate the work of non-governmental organisations and charities in order to improve the support available for refugees as they leave Syria, and to support them in settling and integrating into European life.

Lord Bates

The UK has been operating resettlement schemes for many years and we already have established and effective networks to accommodate and support resettled people.

However, we recognise that the increase in numbers will require an expansion of current networks and the impact on local communities and infrastructure will need to be managed carefully. That is why we are working with a wide range of partners including local authorities and civil society organisations to ensure that people are integrated sensitively into local communities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-10-20.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to support the governments of Italy and Greece to deal with the number of immigrants arriving in their countries.

Lord Bates

The UK has provided support to Italy and Greece through European Asylum Support Office (EASO) coordinated missions. We have provided over 1000 days of staff time on 20 missions over 3 years, more than any other Member State. The UK will also provide up to ten personnel to EASO to support ‘Hotspot’ missions in Italy and Greece.

In addition to assistance through EASO the UK is also providing Greece bilateral law enforcement support through our National Crime Agency.

The UK actively supports the work of Frontex (the European Union agency with responsibility for improving the securing and surveillance of the EU external border) to co-ordinate the work of the European border agencies to raise standards of border management.