Tag: asylum

Bishop of Durham asks about potential for community sponsorship scheme for Afghan refugees

The Bishop of Durham asked a question on the potential for community sponsorship, similar to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, to allow Afghan refugees to come to the UK on 12th December 2023, during a discussion on the threat of deportation faced by former Afghan special forces soldiers currently in Pakistan:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interest as a trustee of Reset, as laid out in the register. The British population have a lot of sympathy with these Afghans. What work has been done to learn the lessons from Ukraine and see what levels of community sponsorship might be offered to such Afghans who qualify under these schemes, and to welcome them here? I recognise that this is a Home Office question, so I understand if the Minister needs to write.

Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about potential for community sponsorship scheme for Afghan refugees”

Bishop of Durham speaks in debate on Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the government’s immigration partnership with Rwanda

The Bishop of Durham spoke in a debate on what steps the government are taking to promote the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 11th December 2023, stressing the dangers of the potential incompatibility of the government’s Safety of Rwanda (Asylum & Immigration) Bill with the UDHR:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I add my thanks to the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay of St Johns, for securing this debate, and for the way in which she has stood for these issues for many years.

The United Nation’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a milestone in the history of our world. It marked a global commitment to put human beings above conflict, above the politics of division and above economic gain, granting each individual dignity without discrimination. Though we are 75 years on, promoting the human rights laid out in the declaration remains as vital today as it was in 1948.

The principles and values of human rights lie in the conviction that each human being is unique, made in the image of God and loved by God. Each person is valuable for who they are, not what they are able to do. Thus it applies to every infant and child, and to every frail elderly person, as much as to those who are regarded as wholly fit and able.

Continue reading “Bishop of Durham speaks in debate on Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the government’s immigration partnership with Rwanda”

Bishop of Worcester asks about impact of new immigration legislation regarding UK’s partnership with Rwanda

The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on the disapplication of the Human Rights Act in immigration enforcement, and the impact of this on clergy visas, on 7th December 2023, in response to a government statement on new legislation relating to the UK’s immigration partnership with Rwanda:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I apologise for being slightly delayed for the consideration of this Statement. My understanding is that the Bill disapplies certain sections of the Human Rights Act 1998 to allow public authorities to operate in a way that is incompatible with international obligations. If that is the case, surely that means disregarding the human rights of people seeking asylum, and I struggle to see what human rights can mean if they are not conferred on all human beings. I will be grateful if the Minister can comment on that. I will also be grateful—as would all of us on these Benches—for some clarification of the status of tier 2 ministry religion visas, in light of the new financial threshold. Perhaps it would be possible to have a meeting about that.

Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about impact of new immigration legislation regarding UK’s partnership with Rwanda”

Bishop of Worcester asks about funds for care of unaccompanied asylum seeking children

The Bishop of Worcester asked about funding for local authorities to support care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I join others in welcoming the Minister to his place. I note that Kent County Council announced last week that new arrival centres for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are being planned in the area but that the council is waiting for funding from central government. As the Minister said, the right and best place for separated children is under local authority care. What is the timeline for the funding to be issued to support Kent County Council fulfilling its statutory duty, especially given that it is responsible for hundreds more children than the prescribed limit under the national distribution system? We do not want to return to the use of hotels.

Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about funds for care of unaccompanied asylum seeking children”

Asylum Application (Entry to the United Kingdom) Bill – First Reading

On 29th November 2023, the Bishop of Chelmsford’s Private Member’s Bill, the Asylum Application (Entry to the United Kingdom) Bill, was introduced and had its first reading in the House of Lords:

Asylum Application (Entry to the United Kingdom) Bill [HL]

A Bill to make provision for leave to enter the United Kingdom to be granted to people for the purposes of making an application for asylum; and for connected purposes.

The Bill was introduced by the Bishop of Chelmsford, read a first time and ordered to be printed.

Hansard

Bishop of Durham asks about immigration detention and asylum

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 29th November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked  what steps they are taking over the immigration detention estate to ensure the use of force is continually monitored and recorded for all detainees, and particularly vulnerable adults and children.

Lord Sharpe Epsom (Con, Home Office): We will accept nothing but the highest standards from companies employed to manage the immigration removal estate.

Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about immigration detention and asylum”

Bishop of St Albans asks about success of networking hubs to deal with asylum claims for children and young people

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the success of dedicated networking hubs to speed up asylum claims for children and young people on 22nd November 2023, during a discussion on safe routes available for child refugees and asylum seekers to come to the UK:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, in May 2021, recognising the need to speed up the applications for child asylum seekers, the Government set up two dedicated caseworking hubs to try to process these claims more quickly. What assessment, two and half years on, has been made of the success of these dedicated hubs, and what more could be done to speed up the claims of young people as they seek asylum?

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about success of networking hubs to deal with asylum claims for children and young people”

Bishop of St Albans asks about long-term immigration and asylum plans

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the government’s long term asylum and immigration strategy on 20th November 2023, following a government statement regarding the Supreme Court Judgement on the proposed Rwanda Immigration Partnership:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, we on these Benches are quite clear that we cannot have open borders, that we must stop people risking their lives, and that we need to stop the people smugglers. But we are also clear that we cannot export our moral responsibilities towards those seeking sanctuary on to the shores of another country, be it Rwanda or anywhere else. This is such a long-term, complex, worldwide problem that we need a long-term strategy for tackling this refugee crisis, in concert with our global partners, so while the Government are proposing some immediate new laws, what are they doing to address the scale of the problem, to provide long-term certainty? Will the Minister commit to developing and publishing a long-term strategy so that we can all try to engage with this in a much more measured way?

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about long-term immigration and asylum plans”

Bishop of Durham asks about detention and regulations affecting asylum seekers

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 26th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government how many unaccompanied children have been held at (1) HMP Elmley, Kent, and (2) other adult prisons over the last year, including those determined to be children after local authority age assessments.

Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about detention and regulations affecting asylum seekers”

Bishop of Durham asks about unaccompanied asylum seeking children

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 17th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government whether, in the instance a child is found after going missing from Home Office accommodation, they are initially returned to hotel accommodation or the care of the local authority.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con, Home Office): When a missing child is found, a referral to the local authority is made with a clear expectation that they are taken into local authority care.

Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about unaccompanied asylum seeking children”