International displacement strategy

#16 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The Government must adopt a proactive approach and seek to identify and locate minors and where feasible repatriate them as soon as practically possible. (Recommendation, Paragraph 97)

Gov response: 16. Agree. Following the end of UNITAD’s mandate in September 2024, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council established the National Centre for International Judicial Co-operation (NCIJC) in October 2024. The centre is Iraq’s legally designated authority for …

Under Consideration

#13 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: We share the concerns of our predecessor Committee that, whilst the states listed may be considered safe in general, this does not guarantee the safety of all individuals from these states, especially those who are members of particular social groups …

Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …

Not Accepted

#12 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: We agree with our predecessor Committee that section 29 IMA, which broadens the public order disqualification in section 63 of the Nationality and Borders Act, is not compatible with the UK’s obligations under ECAT and Article 4 of the ECHR. …

Gov response: As noted above, the Government is committed to ensuring an effective immigration and asylum system and has retained certain measures of the IMA 2023 where they have been assessed as beneficial to that aim. The …

Not Accepted

#7 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The Government should ensure that clause 18 is sufficiently clear and circumscribed, reflects the legitimate aim it is intended to achieve, and is proportionate to that aim. In particular, a mental element should be introduced to ensure that only conduct …

Gov response: Clause 18 introduces a new offence of endangering another during a sea crossing. The clause specifies a clear, defined situation (a crossing by water to the UK from France, Belgium or the Netherlands) to which …

Accepted

#6 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: More broadly, we agree with our predecessor Committee that the Government should fully incorporate Article 31 of the Refugee Convention into section 31 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Section 31 should include the new offences in this Bill …

Gov response: While the defence under section 31 IAA 1999 provides important protection for refugees, it applies only in the circumstances outlined above: namely, to those who come directly from a country where their life or freedom …

Not Accepted

#5 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: In relation to clause 16: a. The Government should give consideration to amending the scope of the offences to ensure that they only apply to persons involved in the smuggling of persons for direct or indirect financial or material gain. …

Gov response: Introducing a requirement for financial or material gain would severely undermine the purpose of the new offences. These clauses are specifically drafted to enable early disruption of criminal enterprises, often before any financial benefit can …

Not Accepted

#156 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: conclusion Exclusions from the protections of the Refugee Convention are permitted in circumstances where individuals have committed “particularly serious crimes”. We acknowledge that the exclusion of individuals who pose a danger to the community is an important measure, and we …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause, which will classify sexual offences which give rise to the notification requirement in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as being ‘particularly serious’ for the purpose of applying …

Under Consideration

#155 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The rebuttable presumption is an important safeguard to give refugees the opportunity to argue against the seriousness of their offence and the danger they pose to the community. The Convention also provides a safeguard as the principle of non-refoulement under …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause, which will classify sexual offences which give rise to the notification requirement in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as being ‘particularly serious’ for the purpose of applying …

Under Consideration

#154 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: In the supplementary ECHR memorandum published by the Government, it is noted that an individual affected by this amendment “would still be able to rely on Article 2 or 3 rights, if they faced a real risk of persecution, but …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause, which will classify sexual offences which give rise to the notification requirement in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as being ‘particularly serious’ for the purpose of applying …

Under Consideration

#153 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: However, in practice, the lowering of this threshold may have very little effect. Professor Sarah Singer told us: “the Nationality and Borders Act introduced a new interpretation of Article 33(2) [Refugee Convention]… It would be highly unlikely to have a …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause, which will classify sexual offences which give rise to the notification requirement in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as being ‘particularly serious’ for the purpose of applying …

Under Consideration

#152 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: For these purposes, a particularly serious crime, in domestic law, is a crime for which a person is sentenced to a period of imprisonment of at least 12 months.197 The threshold is therefore amended by this provision in the Bill …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause, which will classify sexual offences which give rise to the notification requirement in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as being ‘particularly serious’ for the purpose of applying …

Under Consideration

#151 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The Refugee Convention, in its Article 33(2), allows for refugees to be excluded from non-refoulement protections where there are reasonable grounds for regarding them as a danger to the security of the UK or where if, having been convicted of …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause, which will classify sexual offences which give rise to the notification requirement in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as being ‘particularly serious’ for the purpose of applying …

Under Consideration

#150 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: Clause 48 was added by way of Government amendment at Report stage in the Commons. It provides for the classification of certain sexual offences as “particularly serious” when determining exclusions from the protection against refoulement, regardless of period of imprisonment. …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause, which will classify sexual offences which give rise to the notification requirement in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as being ‘particularly serious’ for the purpose of applying …

Under Consideration

#123 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: recommendation We share the concerns of our predecessor Committee that, whilst the states listed may be considered safe in general, this does not guarantee the safety of all individuals from these states, especially those who are members of particular social …

Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …

Not Accepted

#122 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: In its observations on the Bill, the UNHCR states: “while designation of safe countries may be used as a procedural tool to prioritise or accelerate the examination of applications in carefully circumscribed situations, it does not displace the requirement for …

Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …

Not Accepted

#121 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: In relation to India, Rainbow Migration shared two examples of clients who have been granted asylum in the UK: a. “A trans woman from India came out to her parents at age fourteen. They reacted very negatively, locking her in …

Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …

Under Consideration

#120 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: In relation to Georgia, the Refugee Council notes that “in December 2024 the current Government sanctioned five Georgian officials for serious human rights violations. This included the Minister for Interior and the Director of the Tbilisi Police Department. The press …

Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …

Not Accepted

#118 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The implications for Albanian women and children are particularly concerning. For example, an Albanian woman who has been trafficked to the UK and faces a real risk of reprisals and re-trafficking upon return to Albania, could be returned to Albania …

Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …

Under Consideration

#117 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: Our predecessor Committee concluded that that whilst the listed States may be considered to be safe ‘in general’, this does not guarantee their safety for all individuals, particularly those who are members of a particular social group. It must be …

Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …

Accepted

#116 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: Inadmissibility procedures allow a State to declare claims “inadmissible” when the claim is made by nationals of countries that are deemed safe. Section 80A(5) provides two non-exhaustive examples of exceptional circumstances. These are narrowly construed: first, where the listed state …

Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …

Under Consideration

#115 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: Section 59 IMA (partially in force)149 amends section 80A of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, which provides that asylum claims and human rights claims from nationals of listed states must be declared inadmissible. Section 59 IMA principally does …

Gov response: As noted in the report, section 59 of the IMA 2023 has not yet been fully commenced. If commenced, it would broaden the application of the existing inadmissibility provisions at section 80A of the Nationality, …

Under Consideration

#114 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: recommendation We agree with our predecessor Committee that section 29 IMA, which broadens the public order disqualification in section 63 of the Nationality and Borders Act, is not compatible with the UK’s obligations under ECAT and Article 4 of the …

Gov response: As noted above, the Government is committed to ensuring an effective immigration and asylum system and has retained certain measures of the IMA 2023 where they have been assessed as beneficial to that aim. The …

Not Accepted

#112 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: Article 13 of ECAT requires state parties to provide a “recovery and reflection period” of at least 30 days to potential VOTs, i.e. when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person concerned is a victim of trafficking. During …

Gov response: As noted above, the Government is committed to ensuring an effective immigration and asylum system and has retained certain measures of the IMA 2023 where they have been assessed as beneficial to that aim. The …

Accepted

#108 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The Helen Bamber Foundation and Asylum Aid state the public order disqualification under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 is already broad and is catching levels of behaviour that fall below the appropriate threshold for depriving a victim of protections. …

Gov response: As noted above, the Government is committed to ensuring an effective immigration and asylum system and has retained certain measures of the IMA 2023 where they have been assessed as beneficial to that aim. The …

Not Accepted

#105 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: It also mandates that, unless there are ‘compelling circumstances’, non- British victims would be disqualified from protection if they have been sentenced to a period of imprisonment of any length. They will be denied a recovery and reflection period and …

Gov response: As noted above, the Government is committed to ensuring an effective immigration and asylum system and has retained certain measures of the IMA 2023 where they have been assessed as beneficial to that aim. The …

Not Accepted

#94 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The Illegal Migration Act 2023 (IMA) introduced significant changes to the UK’s asylum system. In summary, it imposed a duty on the Secretary of State to make arrangements to remove any person who enters the UK irregularly and has not …

Gov response: The Government is committed to ensuring an effective immigration and asylum system and has retained certain measures of the IMA 2023 where they have been assessed as beneficial to that aim.

Under Consideration

#93 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: conclusion Clause 37 of the Bill would repeal SORA in its entirety. This is consistent with the current Government’s manifesto commitment to abandon the Rwanda policy. Repeal of SORA will remove the significant incompatibilities identified in the predecessor JCHR’s report. …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause of the Bill, which will repeal the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 (SoRA 2024) in its entirety. The Government has always been clear that …

Under Consideration

#92 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The Safety of Rwanda Bill sought to establish through legislative means that Rwanda was a safe country despite the Supreme Court’s conclusion that it was not.129 A statement under section 19(1)(b) of the HRA was made when the Bill was …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause of the Bill, which will repeal the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 (SoRA 2024) in its entirety. The Government has always been clear that …

Under Consideration

#91 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The central provisions of SORA: confirm that the Republic of Rwanda is a safe third country for the purposes of removal; require any court or tribunal to conclusively treat Rwanda as a safe for the purposes of asylum and removal; …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause of the Bill, which will repeal the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 (SoRA 2024) in its entirety. The Government has always been clear that …

Under Consideration

#90 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 (“SORA”) was passed after the Supreme Court held that the Government’s policy of removing asylum seekers to Rwanda, under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP), was unlawful.128 SORA was enacted …

Gov response: We welcome the Committee’s support for this clause of the Bill, which will repeal the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 (SoRA 2024) in its entirety. The Government has always been clear that …

Under Consideration

#68 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: recommendation The Government should ensure that clause 18 is sufficiently clear and circumscribed, reflects the legitimate aim it is intended to achieve, and is proportionate to that aim. In particular, a mental element should be introduced to ensure that only …

Gov response: Clause 18 introduces a new offence of endangering another during a sea crossing. The clause specifies a clear, defined situation (a crossing by water to the UK from France, Belgium or the Netherlands) to which …

Not Accepted

#1 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) about government’s management of the end-to-end …

Response Pending

#17 —

Northern Ireland Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We are concerned about the increase in people smuggling and commercial exploitation across the land border on the island of Ireland. We will keep under review the expanded data sharing arrangements recently announced by the UK and Irish Governments. While …

Response Pending

#33 —

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: In order to achieve an equitable and sustainable UK-wide dispersal system, the Home Office and its providers must give due regard to the acute financial and capacity constraints currently placed on dispersal authorities, many of which are grappling with even …

Gov response: The Home Office is committed to working collaboratively with communities and stakeholders to ensure that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure and suitable accommodation. We have established the Local Government Chief Executive Group …

Under Consideration

#32 —

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Our predecessors highlighted the shortcomings of the Home Office’s dispersal policy and its failure to make dispersal arrangements equitable across the UK. Three years on from the Committee’s 2017 report, we have noted with concern the pressures on the system …

Gov response: The Home Office is committed to working collaboratively with communities and stakeholders to ensure that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure and suitable accommodation. We have established the Local Government Chief Executive Group …

Under Consideration

#22 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department extended the visas of all individuals for whom it was difficult to seek visa extensions or return home. The Department told us it was unlikely to apply another blanket extension beyond the end of …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: November 2020 6.2 The department is focused on delivering the new points-based immigration system by January 2021 with two routes, Student and Child Student, …

Not Addressed

#20 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department acknowledged that these arrangements would be part of the ongoing negotiations with the EU.55 We asked whether Immigration Enforcement proposed to keep teams in EU airports after the transition period ended. The Department appeared unconcerned about any possible …

Gov response: 5.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 5.2 The department is working hard to prepare for a range of potential outcomes at the end of the transition period. This remains a top priority, with …

Not Addressed

#19 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked about the impact of the UK’s departure from the EU on the Department’s immigration enforcement activities.52 The Department has teams in EU countries which support its work to prevent unlawful entry to the UK and to tackle organised …

Gov response: 5.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 5.2 The department is working hard to prepare for a range of potential outcomes at the end of the transition period. This remains a top priority, with …

Not Addressed

#18 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked what the Department could learn from its analysis of late asylum claims to reduce the number of these. The NAO reported that the Department failed to complete 62% of the returns it planned from immigration detention in 2019, …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2025 4.2 The department has significant plans in place to deliver a more joined-up and end-to-end immigration system. The Borders, Immigration and Citizenship …

Not Addressed

#13 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked the Department to account for the plummeting number of people it returns to their countries of origin. The Department claimed that the fall in returns was because of greater compliance with immigration rules, changes to the legal framework …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2022 The Home Office (the Department) has a significant programme of work underway to enhance its understanding of the illegal population within the UK. …

Not Addressed

#7 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department described the different forms of harm that occur from immigration crime. These include criminal harm by foreign national offenders against their victims and society, and the harm organised crime groups commit against society and vulnerable people. It also …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Spring 2022 The Home Office (the Department) has a significant programme of work underway to enhance its understanding of the illegal population within the UK. …

Not Addressed

#6 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We are not convinced that the Department is sufficiently prepared to safeguard the status of individuals while also implementing a new immigration system and managing its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department faces several challenges in the immediate future. …

Gov response: 19. Nineteenth Report of Session 2019-21 The Sponsor Body (for the Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster) Restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster Introduction from the Committee After over 20 years …

Under Consideration

#5 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department is unprepared for the challenges the UK’s exit from the EU presents to its immigration enforcement operations. The Department relies on cooperation with EU partners to support its international operations, including the return of foreign national offenders and …

Gov response: 5.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 5.2 The department is working hard to prepare for a range of potential outcomes at the end of the transition period. This remains a top priority, with …

Not Addressed

#4 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department’s failure to develop an end-to-end understanding of the immigration system leads to problems which it could avoid. At present, there are gaps in its digital and paper trail, and it is likely these have an impact on Immigration …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2025 4.2 The department has significant plans in place to deliver a more joined-up and end-to-end immigration system. The Borders, Immigration and Citizenship …

Not Addressed

#24 — Rwanda partnership's value for money depends on deterring a significant number of illegal entries.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The success—and value for money—of the Rwanda partnership depends on whether it deters people from making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK, including small boat crossings. In 2023, the Home Office estimated that illegal entries need to reduce by …

Gov response: 5.1 The government notes the Committee’s recommendation. 5.2 The evaluation of deterrent impact and value for money for the MEDP policy will not proceed because the operationalisation of the policy was ceased.

Not Accepted

#22 — Increased asylum decisions burden local authorities with rising homelessness and significant costs.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The National Audit Office reported that the increase in asylum decisions had placed greater pressure on local authorities to support refugees in finding accommodation, and increased the risk of homelessness and rough sleeping.35 We received written evidence from the London …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 4.2 The Home Office will establish a working group with the Local Government Association and Local Authority Chief Executive regional leads to address issues raised …

Accepted

#20 — Home Office lacks a clear timeline for fully phasing out asylum seeker hotel accommodation.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Since 2020, the Home Office has increasingly used hotels to accommodate people seeking asylum, as demand for accommodation increased and there was an insufficient supply of alternative accommodation. In October 2023, the Home Office announced that it intended to stop …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 4.2 The Home Office will establish a working group with the Local Government Association and Local Authority Chief Executive regional leads to address issues raised …

Accepted

#16 — Many asylum seekers remain in limbo with unprocessed claims pending relocation.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Illegal Migration Bill was first introduced to Parliament in March 2023, and since this time the Home Office has not been processing claims for the majority of people arriving in small boats and through other irregular means. We remarked …

Gov response: 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 All individuals are able to raise concerns with the department whilst their case is under consideration and where safeguarding concerns are raised, these are …

Accepted

#20 — Participate in multilateral peace process, supporting reconstruction and UN agencies in Gaza and West Bank.

Foreign Affairs Committee

Recommendation: A key component of the UK’s policy in support of a two-state solution must be participation in the reconstruction of Gaza and areas of the West Bank that have been rendered uninhabitable by military action. Institution building requires physical infrastructure …

Gov response: The Government agrees with this recommendation. The UK has been working closely with our international and regional partners to build consensus on Gaza’s future security and governance arrangements, in addition to planning for early recovery …

Accepted

#9 — Commission a holistic review of displacement drivers and solutions, reporting findings within one year.

International Development Committee

Recommendation: The FCDO should commission a holistic review of the drivers of and solutions to displacement, reporting its findings to the Committee within one year of the publication of this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 59)

Gov response: 40. At every stage in the decision-making process to set 2025/26 ODA programme allocations, we considered the equalities impacts of allocations, including on women and girls. Our approach was informed by lessons learned from previous …

Under Consideration