Tag: Lord Roberts of Llandudno

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-01-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to lift the ban on aid entering the Grande-Synthe refugee camps.

Lord Bates

The management of the camp – both in terms of humanitarian aspects and maintaining law and order – is the responsibility of the French Government and operational needs may require for them to restrict access under certain circumstances. Aid is not restricted as a matter of course, and we work with the French to ensure those who need help are able to receive it.

To help protect vulnerable people (including children and other potential victims of trafficking) the Home Secretary and French Interior Minister agreed in the UK-France Joint Declaration in August 2015 to set up a project to identify and direct vulnerable individuals to existing protection, support and advice within France. The UK has contributed €750,000 (£530,000) to fund the project which formally launched in December 2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications for asylum from refugees in the Calais and Dunkirk camp they have accepted under the Dublin III Regulations.

Lord Keen of Elie

Whilst all asylum claims, including those accepted under Dublin III, are registered on the main immigration database the specifics of each case including the route of travel and possible stay in the camps in Calais and Dunkirk can only be ascertained by a manual check of the notes on the immigration database and a physical check of the paper file.

It will therefore not be possible to answer this question for reasons of disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government with whom refugee children will be required to register in order to be admitted into the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

As announced on 4 May we are looking to admit children who were already present in the EU before 20 March 2016. This is the date the EU-Turkey deal came into force.

We are working with the relevant Member States, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other Non-Governmental Organisations and local authorities to establish the best way to implement the provisions of the Immigration Act 2016 for the transfer of unaccompanied refugee children from Europe to the UK.

We will be flexible in our interpretation of what ‘registered’ means. We are not seeking to impose an overly burdensome legalistic requirement on children to prove they have formally ‘registered’ but we would expect clear evidence that they were present in Europe before 20 March

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of asylum applications were accepted over the past 12 months.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

In the year ending March 2016, there were 33,713 initial decisions on asylum applications from main applicants and dependants. Of these decisions, 37% (12,410) were grants of asylum or an alternative form of protection.

The Home Office publishes quarterly figures on asylum applications and initial decisions within the Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics January to March 2016, is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2016.

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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been their total expenditure on military action in Syria and Iraq.

Earl Howe

From August 2014 to 31 March 2016, the net additional costs of counter-Daesh activity in Iraq and Syria were £265 million. These costs were met from a combination of the HM Treasury Special Reserve and the Deployed Military Activity Pool (DMAP). The £265 million is split into £45 million in financial year 2014-15, and £220 million in financial year 2015-16.

This activity was to support UK military activity to degrade and ultimately defeat Daesh. It has included airstrikes in support of coalition ground operations and airborne intelligence gathering operations in Iraq and Syria, as well as helping to train the Iraqi Security Forces and moderate Syrian opposition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what mental health support they are offering to recently arrived Syrian refugees.

Lord Bates

The Syrian VPR scheme prioritises those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin.

Before accepting or rejecting a referral local authorities will be provided with information on medical needs and will think carefully about whether they have the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure the appropriate care and integration of these refugees.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2015-12-08.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what NHS medical support is available for (1) asylum seekers, and (2) refugees.

Lord Bates

Only those asylum seekers (and their dependants) who receive asylum support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are entitled to access NHS medical services. They are able to access free NHS prescriptions, free dental treatment, free eye sight tests, help with the cost of glasses or contact lenses, free wigs and fabric supports and help with the cost of travel to receive treatment under the care of a consultant.

The Home Office takes all reasonable steps to ensure the health and welfare of asylum seekers who receive asylum support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. At the inception of their claim, they are provided with an opportunity to undergo assessment by health officials and suitable steps are taken to provide them with access to appropriate medical treatment, this includes advice on how to register with a GP practice and how to access emergency treatment at a hospital or walk in centre.

Those qualifying asylum seekers, as outlined above, are provided with a HC2 certificate which confirms to medical practitioners that they are eligible to access appropriate medical services.

Refugees who have been granted asylum status are eligible for services from the National Health Service on the same basis as the general population.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-01-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the measures that are in place to ensure that asylum seekers in refugee camps in Calais have access to the Family Reunification system.

Lord Bates

All migrants, including families and children, in Calais who wish to seek asylum should do so in France and provide information to the French asylum authorities about any family members in other Member States, including the UK. We will consider any request made to us by the French asylum authorities to take responsibility for an asylum applicant in France because they have close family who are legally in the UK in accordance with the terms of the Dublin Regulation concerning the principle of family unity and the best interests of the child.

If not claiming asylum, individual migrants in France, as in any other country, are entitled to apply under the Family Reunion provisions to join relatives in the UK by making the appropriate visa application.

Under the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015, the UK has increased the frequency of communications campaigns involving British officials, French authorities and NGOs speaking to migrants in Calais to inform migrants of the reality of life in the UK, and their rights to claim asylum in France. The UK is also helping to fund dedicated facilities away from Calais to allow migrants to reflect on next steps and to consider an asylum claim.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-03-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have forecast how many of the 20,000 asylum seekers to enter the UK by the end of this Parliament will be under 18.

Lord Keen of Elie

We work closely with The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement according to agreed vulnerability criteria for the Syrian Resettlement Scheme.

The scheme is based on need and supports those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin.

The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Latest statistics published on 25 February 2016 confirms in 2015, a total of 1,194 people were resettled the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) including 1,085 who arrived in the last quarter of 2015. Of those resettled under the scheme in 2015, 605 were under 18 years old.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-05-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what national measures are in place to ensure that clothing and shoes are available for refugee children on arrival in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Any unaccompanied child who arrives in the UK receives clothing packs. All unaccompanied children present in the UK, regardless of their immigration status, are afforded the same level of care and support as British children. Unaccompanied refugee children brought to the UK through provisions in the Immigration Act 2016 will be given the appropriate support and care required. We continue to consult with local authorities on the best way to implement this legislation.

Last year the UK received 3,043 asylum applications from unaccompanied asylum seeking children. We have robust measures in place to receive and safeguard them. In addition we have committed to section 67 in the Immigration Act 2016 to receive unaccompanied children from Europe where it is in their best interests.

We are consulting with relevant non-governmental organisations, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), local authorities and relevant Member States on the best way to implement the Immigration Act 2016 provisions for the transfer of unaccompanied refugee children from Europe to the UK. We will ensure we have the right support for unaccompanied refugee children who arrive in the UK from Europe whilst ensuring we fulfil our obligations to children who are already in UK.