Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Deferred
Paragraph: 97
Establish dedicated casework team for Hong Kong asylum applications and update country policy note within eight weeks.
Recommendation
The UK has a proud record of providing asylum to individuals who need it, from many parts of the world. A failure to provide effective and timely consideration to asylum seekers from Hong Kong would damage this record, as well as undermining the unique commitment made by the UK to the citizens of Hong Kong. We have already in this report recommended that the Government establish a dedicated casework team to examine Hong Kong BN(O) visa applications; the Government should similarly establish a dedicated casework team to examine asylum applications from Hong Kong. In addition, the Government should report back to us with an updated country policy note for Hong Kong within eight weeks. The Home Office must also provide assurances concerning the frequency with which its country policy information notes are reviewed and in particular must confirm what measures are in place both to ensure that CPINs relating to Hong Kong are updated in response to developments, and to ensure that such changes are communicated quickly and effectively to frontline caseworkers.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government discusses the setting of visa, immigration, and citizenship fees, which is unrelated to the recommendation for a dedicated asylum casework team for Hong Kong and updated country policy notes.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
97
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
20. The Home Office regularly monitors and reviews the situation in countries of origin, working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Our country policy and information notes (CPIN) are kept under constant review and updated periodically and in the event of specific events where appropriate. In respect of the protests and subsequent introduction of the National Security Law (NSL) in Hong Kong, the Home Office produced an initial report in February 2020 and updated it in November 2020. 21. With finite resources, the Home Office must determine which reports to prioritise. We therefore focus on the more common and/or complex issues raised in protection claims and aim to update our CPIN at least once every two years. For context, over the past 12 months, asylum claims from Hong Kong have accounted for less than 0.5% of the total number of applications. 22. We do, however, recognise the need to ensure the changeable situation in Hong Kong is accurately reflected in our CPINs which is why we agree to the recommendation to provide an updated note on Hong Kong. 23. It is important to note that even though new events can take place in a given country, it does not necessarily affect the Home Office’s underlying position about whether particular groups are likely to be at risk or not. Our assessment for those potentially affected by the NSL in Hong Kong is ‘The application of the NSL is likely to depend on a person’s profile, activity, and possibly their background, with high profile activists likely to be at a higher risk of arrest and prosecution.’ 24. In addition to CPINs, decision makers can access the latest available country information through an information request service for specific enquiries to deal with particular issues raised in individual claims. Should additional information be required based on a country situation, decision makers can request an update on specific events through internal mechanisms. 25. Since 1 January, the Home Office has had a dedicated team of decision makers within asylum operations who specialise in interviewing and deciding cases from Hong Kong nationals. These caseworkers are trained to consider asylum claims, including how to weigh up objective country information, and have access to the developing situation in Hong Kong via country policy and information notes. This team is supported directly by a technical specialist, senior caseworkers and a deputy chief caseworker.
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