Written questions by Dodds.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her recent decision on Sudanese student visas on the Chevening Scholarship programme.

The decision to introduce a visa brake on the Student visa route for Sudan and the other three nationalities was based on data-driven migration and border security considerations. While we recognise that most people who apply to study in the UK do so genuinely, the evidence is clear that the Student route for these nationalities has been a source of a high number and high proportion of visa-linked asylum claims. We have therefore acted to halt this unacceptable strain on our asylum system, and to ensure that the system remains fair, credible, and sustainable.This decision may be disappointing to nationals of these countries who wished to join the Chevening Scholarship programme. The visa brake was introduced on account of patterns of visa-linked asylum claims by nationality and we have no plans, at present, to provide exceptions for the Chevening Scholarship programme or any other scholarship programme.

With reference to her oral statement of 17 November 2025 on Asylum Policy, what her timeline is for establishing a Named Community Sponsorship scheme.

In the Restoring Order and Control Statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes.The Government is working with a range of stakeholders, including civil society, to design and develop the new sponsored pathways to ensure they work for beneficiaries, stakeholders and government. Stakeholder engagement is ongoing throughout the design process.Work is underway to operationalise these new routes and further details will be provided in due course.

With reference to her oral statement of 17 November 2025 on Asylum Policy, what steps her Department has taken to engage civil society in the establishment of a Named Community Sponsorship scheme.

In the Restoring Order and Control Statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes.The Government is working with a range of stakeholders, including civil society, to design and develop the new sponsored pathways to ensure they work for beneficiaries, stakeholders and government. Stakeholder engagement is ongoing throughout the design process.Work is underway to operationalise these new routes and further details will be provided in due course.

With reference to her oral statement of 17 November 2025 on Asylum Policy, what discussions she has had with her Canadian counterpart on the operation of Named Community Sponsorship schemes.

In the Restoring Order and Control Statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes.The Government is working with a range of stakeholders, including civil society, to design and develop the new sponsored pathways to ensure they work for beneficiaries, stakeholders and government. Stakeholder engagement is ongoing throughout the design process.Work is underway to operationalise these new routes and further details will be provided in due course.

What the cost is of processing a citizen application fee-waiver for under 18s.

The Home Office has previously estimated the cost of processing fee waivers for under 18s applying for British citizenship in the Impact Assessment published alongside the Fee Regulations introducing the waiver in June 2022 – please see at page 8 of the following link: The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2022.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the ability of airports to complete full customs checks on small packages imported from abroad in the last 12 months.

Border Force work closely with law enforcement partners to share intelligence and have a strong track record in targeting illicit commodities via a threat and intelligence led approach; and we continue to examine goods brought into the UK by passengers are appropriately declared and abide by customs and excise rules. Border Force has an excellent relationship with airport security personnel nationally, ensuring they are aware and able to identify potential smuggling risks. If, when carrying out their security function, airline staff identify a person who may be of interest to Border Force, they will share that information, allowing Border Force Officers (BFOs) to take appropriate action. Border Force examines thousands of parcels arriving into the UK every day as part of Border Security checks. Border Force has had a record-breaking year in terms of seizures, highlighting our ability to complete high volumes of checks, with data available via Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

What information her Department holds on whether any airports are unable to complete customs checks on small packages to expected standards.

In the interests of border security, it is longstanding Home Office policy to not disclose information of a port or region-specific nature. This is because it could allow an individual with malintent the ability to identify any potential weak points in the UK Border.

What information her Department holds on the potential impact of airport staffing on the ability of airports to complete customs checks on small packages imported from abroad.

Border Force has an intelligence-led approach to how it assesses the many threats to the UK Border and is robust in how it deploys resource. Border Force operates a flexible resourcing model, regularly assessing operational needs and deploying staff dynamically in response to passenger volumes, security requirements and developing threats.

What assessment she has made of the extent to which the ten recommendations from the IOPC report 'National learning recommendations and responses - EIP searches of children, published on 19 March 2024 have been implemented.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) ‘National Learning Recommendations re: Exposure of Intimate Parts Searches of Children’ report made ten recommendations. Seven recommendations have been fully implemented, and work is ongoing for the other three. Progress on these is set out below:Recommendation 1, Updating Authorised Professional Practice Guidance: The College of Policing has reviewed and is in the process of updating the Authorised Professional Practice guidance, which will embed trauma-informed and child-centred principles.Recommendation 2, Provision of Appropriate Adults: The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has worked closely with forces to ensure that officers understand the legislative requirements for providing Appropriate Adults during searches of children. They have also engaged with stakeholders to develop and disseminate clear information to help children in custody understand how Appropriate Adults can and should support them.Recommendation 3, Child First Approach: The College of Policing is reviewing and updating guidance and training materials to reinforce a child-centred, trauma-informed, approach to searches of children.Recommendation 4, Coordination of National Policing Response: The Home Office has fostered greater collaboration across policing partners by convening regular engagement with the NPCC, College of Policing, and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, to ensure that the response to the IOPC’s recommendations is coordinated, evidence-based and embedded in frontline practice.Recommendation 5, Annual Data Requirements (ADR): The ADR has been significantly expanded to create a more comprehensive and robust dataset, enabling clearer monitoring of police practice and better-informed safeguarding assessments. Forces are now required to provide detailed and consistent information on searches that expose intimate parts, both in custody and under stop and search powers. This includes the geographic location of the search, whether a supervisor was consulted, and whether an Appropriate Adult was present. The latest stop and search data, published on GOV.UK recently (Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025 - GOV.UK), includes additional details on strip searches. Data on searches in custody is due to be published in March 2026.Recommendation 6, Data Collection and Monitoring: The NPCC has implemented regular data monitoring procedures, so that the circumstances and rationale for child strip searches are consistently reviewed. Any issues or learning identified through these reviews are addressed by the Custody Leadership Team within each force, helping drive improvements in practice.Recommendation 7, Authorisation Guidance: The NPCC has reviewed and strengthened authorisation processes for exposure of intimate parts searches. It has also recommended that a senior officer must authorise the strip search of a child, ensuring decisions are made with the necessary accountability, justification, necessity and proportionality.Recommendation 8, Research Around Trauma: The College of Policing has enhanced its evidence base and incorporated key findings related to the trauma experienced by children during strip searches into their products.Recommendation 9, Voice of the Child: Relevant guidance and training products are being reviewed and updated by the College of Policing, to ensure the ‘Voice of the Child’ is more consistently reflected.Recommendation 10, Mandatory Safeguarding Referral following exposure of intimate parts searches: The Home Office has led system-wide consultations to consider amendments to Code A and C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984), including mandating a safeguarding referral for any child who is subject to an exposure of intimate parts search. The Government is committed to introducing new legal safeguards around the strip search of children as soon as possible.

Which Police Forces in England are meeting service levels on processing times for DBS checks, and which are not.

For certain ‘Enhanced’ level applications (‘Basic’ and ‘Standard’ level checks are not sent to local police forces), the DBS will check with local police forces whether they hold any information that is considered relevant to the individual’s application. There is a 60-day Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place between the DBS and police forces to complete this work. Out of the 52 independent Police Disclosure Units carrying out these checks (across local police forces and other law enforcement agencies) 8 are currently unable to meet the 60-day SLA: Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Sussex, Thames Valley, Dyfed Powys, Durham, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that every child in care has their immigration status resolved before turning 18.

The Home Secretary set out in the Immigration White Paper published on 12 May that the Home Office will ensure children who have been in the UK for some time, turn 18 and discover they do not have status, are fully supported and able to regularise their status and settle where appropriate. This will also include a clear pathway for those children in care and care leavers.As part of this, separate targeted engagement will take place with external stakeholders to help us to understand the challenges in this area and develop a policy solution which supports children in care without status while upholding the need to have a robust and coherent migration system. Children who have claimed asylum are dealt with under separate provisions.A range of reforms are underway across the immigration and asylum system, and the development of a clear pathway to settlement for children in care and care leavers must be considered alongside these changes.Further detail on this will be set out in due course.

With reference to the Immigration White Paper S.221, what specific measures are in place or being developed to tackle sponsors who fall short of their responsibilities.

The current measures to tackle sponsors who fall short of their sponsorship duties can be found on Gov.uk in Part 3 of the guidance for sponsors: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance (accessible) - GOV.UK These range from reducing a sponsor’s allocation of certificates of sponsorship to revoking their licence and, if necessary, reporting them to the relevant authorities for further investigation. The sponsor guidance is kept under close ongoing review, with enhancements to the relevant criteria made on an iterative basis.

With reference to the Immigration White Paper S.221, if he will set out the timeframe for the implementation of measures against sponsors who fall short of their duties.

The current measures to tackle sponsors who fall short of their sponsorship duties can be found on Gov.uk in Part 3 of the guidance for sponsors: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance (accessible) - GOV.UK These range from reducing a sponsor’s allocation of certificates of sponsorship to revoking their licence and, if necessary, reporting them to the relevant authorities for further investigation. The sponsor guidance is kept under close ongoing review, with enhancements to the relevant criteria made on an iterative basis.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of not resolving the immigration status of children in care before they turn 18.

The Home Secretary set out in the Immigration White Paper published on 12 May that the Home Office will ensure children who have been in the UK for some time, turn 18 and discover they do not have status, are fully supported and able to regularise their status and settle where appropriate. This will also include a clear pathway for those children in care and care leavers.As part of this, separate targeted engagement will take place with external stakeholders to help us to understand the challenges in this area and develop a policy solution which supports children in care without status while upholding the need to have a robust and coherent migration system. Children who have claimed asylum are dealt with under separate provisions.A range of reforms are underway across the immigration and asylum system, and the development of a clear pathway to settlement for children in care and care leavers must be considered alongside these changes.Further detail on this will be set out in due course.

What steps she is taking to support the police in taking enforcement action against the illegal use of (a) ebikes and (b) escooters.

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The police have a suite of powers available to them to tackle the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters and we expect police to deploy them appropriately.The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles including e-bikes and e-scooters, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizure. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.The Government also recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles quicker, including e-bikes and privately owned e-scooters, which have been used anti-socially or illegally.These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of e-bikes and e-scooters ridden anti-socially or illegally and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.Enforcement of road traffic law, including in relation to the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters, are operational matter for Chief Constables in partnership with Police and Crime Commissioners who decide how to deploy available resources, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.

What steps her Department is taking to assess and prevent the transnational repression of Sudanese nationals and their families.

The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country.The Government has conducted a comprehensive review of the UK’s response to transnational repression (TNR) and found that the UK has tools and system-wide safeguards in place to robustly counter this threat. In particular, the National Security Act 2023 has provided a comprehensive suite of powers to counter activity amounting to TNR.The police and intelligence services have mature mechanisms to continually assess potential threats in the UK. They use a wide range of tactics to counter the most acute forms of state-directed threats and protect those individuals identified as at risk. On 4 March, I announced a new package of training for frontline police officers and staff to improve law enforcement’s ability to detect and investigate incidents which may be state-directed.Guidance is available on GOV.UK to provide those who believe themselves to be at-risk of TNR with practical advice for their safety both physically and online. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

What data her Department collects on incidents of transnational repression.

We continually assess potential threats in the UK using a multi-source model, drawing on intelligence assessments, engagement with international partners, and insights from civil society and affected individuals. In 2024, policing introduced a new recording system to capture reports that may include foreign interference, including TNR.The Home Office is also developing official statistics for the National Security Act, which will include relevant offences that could amount to TNR.The Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously, and will continue to strengthen its understanding of TNR and ensure that systems to detect, deter, and counter this activity remain effective and proportionate.

What assessment she has made of the availability in the UK of (a) ketamine and (b) nitazenes through online purchase.

The Government is committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs online, including that of ketamine and nitazenes.We are taking a co-ordinated approach to tackle harmful online content, including material associated with the sale of illegal drugs. This strategy combines law enforcement activity, stronger engagement with technology companies, improved education to raise awareness of risks and harms, and the introduction of measures that require internet companies to take responsibility for content on their platforms.This includes strengthening the regulatory framework to address online harms. The unlawful sale of controlled drugs online is a priority offence under the illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act 2023. In-scope providers are legally required to implement measures to protect their users and to remove illegal content from their platforms. Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the Act, is closely monitoring compliance with the regime.The National Crime Agency also works with partners in the UK and internationally to identify offenders operating online, and to take down UK-based sites committing offences.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle the risk of modern slavery in hand car washes.

The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery across all sectors, including hand car washes.The Home Office funds the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), which operates a national licensing scheme in certain high-risk sectors to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation. The GLAA has specially trained officers with police-style powers to prevent, detect, and investigate serious labour exploitation across the entire economy in England and Wales.The Government is improving the enforcement of employment rights by establishing the Fair Work Agency (FWA) through the Employment Rights Bill. The FWA will bring together the GLAA, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and HMRC’s National Minimum Wage Team. This will ensure a more cohesive and streamlined response to exploitation.The FWA will have strong powers to investigate and take action against a range of labour market abuses, including serious exploitation and modern slavery. This includes new powers to investigate under the Fraud Act 2006.

Whether the Border Forces provides guidance on (a) working rights and (b) avoiding exploitation to people arriving on work visas at UK ports.

Border Force officers receive specialised training to identify signs of potential exploitation at the border. While it is not standard practice for Border Force to routinely provide arriving work visa holders with guidance on worker rights or advice on avoiding exploitation, officers are prepared to intervene when individuals are identified as being at risk. This includes taking action to support those who may be vulnerable to labour exploitationIn addition, Border Force have worked with Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) (Our Aims and Objectives - GLAA). As part of this cooperation, skilled worker applicants receive a leaflet when they visit a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to provide their biometrics. The leaflet outlines workers’ rights and steps they can take to identify the signifiers of, avoid, and report exploitation. The complete range of GLAA resources is available at Resources - GLAA and available to all.