Written questions by West.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of restricting student visa access for women and girls from Afghanistan on the ability of those people to access education.

The UK has a proud tradition of supporting education, equality, and human rights, and we remain dedicated to helping the people of Afghanistan. Our current £151 million aid program (equivalent to 13.3 billion Afghanis) provides vital life-saving support to the country’s most vulnerable people, especially women and girls. We are committed that at least 50% of those reached by UK aid in Afghanistan are women and girls.As set out in the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government remains committed to the introduction of capped safe and legal routes for refugees and displaced people to come to the United Kingdom. These new safe and legal routes will start this autumn with a student refugee route, with the first arrivals in Autumn 2027. Dedicated humanitarian routes are the appropriate way to combine compassion and control with securing our border.In the past 3 years more Afghan students claimed asylum than we issued new student visas in each year. This does not achieve the appropriate balance between compassion, control and a secure border.

With reference to her Written Statement of 2 March 2026 on Asylum changes, HCWS1373, what recent steps her Department has taken to introduce community sponsorship.

In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced persons.Work is underway to deliver the named community sponsorship route. The Government is working with a range of stakeholders to design and develop the new pathway.Further details, including timeframes for the launch of the route, will be provided in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle homophobia in the Metropolitan Police force.

Any form of discrimination in policing is completely unacceptable.Since the publication of Louise Casey’s 2023 review the MPS has taken action through its ‘New Met for London Plan’. In December 2025 the MPS and Mayor of London announced an independent review of the force’s progress against Baroness Casey’s 2023 report, chaired by Dr Gillian Fairfield.The Government also supports the aims of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and College of Policing’s ‘National policing culture and inclusion strategy’ which aims to tackle discrimination within policing.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve safety for the LGBT+ community.

The Government is committed to ensuring that LGBT+ people are safe, supported and able to live their lives free from discrimination, prejudice and hate.As set out in our manifesto, we are expanding the aggravated offences in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 so that crimes motivated by hostility towards a person’s sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability attract tougher penalties, in line with existing aggravated offences for race and religion.As my Hon. friend Dame Diana Johnson confirmed at Commons Report Stage on 18 June, the Government will implement this through an amendment in the Lords to the Crime and Policing Bill.Through the Sentencing Act 2020, courts already apply enhanced sentencing where there is evidence of hostility based on sexual orientation or transgender identity. The expansion of aggravated offences will further reinforce the seriousness with which these crimes are treated, ensuring perpetrators face longer sentences and communities are better protected.

Whether transitional arrangements outlined in the 2025 UK Immigration White Paper include those close to settlement on existing long residence routes.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.The consultation seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Transitional arrangements refer to temporary measures or rules put in place to manage the shift from one system, or policy framework, to another. Details of the earned settlement model, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

What steps she is taking to ensure that Schengen Area Passport Validity requirements are clearly and effectively communicated by (a) airlines and (b) travel operators.

The EU will be liaising with airlines flying to the Schengen zone on the publication/notification of any requirements.

What steps she is taking to protect British citizens from transnational repression from hostile states.

The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Robust tools and system-wide safeguards are in place to robustly counter the threat of transnational repression (TNR). As set out in my statement to the House on 14 May, following the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s Review of TNR, we have:Implemented the National Security Act 2023, which provides a comprehensive suite of powers to counter state‑threats activity, including conduct that may amount to TNR.Published practical guidance on GOV.UK for individuals who believe they may be at risk, with advice to help them protect themselves physically and online.Rolled out training on state threats across all 45 territorial police forces, including upskilling of 999 call handlers on TNR, to strengthen frontline identification and response.Deployed tailored support and security assistance for individual victims where we become aware of them - proportionate to the threat and varied in scope and approach.Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the police via 101, at a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated, irrespective of where the threat emanates.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that applications for naturalisation are concluded within a reasonable timeframe and; what progress her Department has made in reducing the backlog of applications for citizenship in Hornsey and Friern Barnet constituency.

The service standard for the processing of a straightforward application for British citizenship is six months.The most recent Migration Transparency data published in August 2025 shows that 99.36% of straightforward applications were decided within service standard: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that asylum seekers are living in (a) safe and (b) suitable accommodation.

The Home Office is firmly committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure, and appropriate accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity throughout the asylum process. As part of its assurance processes, the Home Office conducts regular inspections and monitoring of asylum accommodation sites to ensure compliance with contractual and safety standards, including security arrangements. Feedback from local authorities and asylum seekers is also considered and informs improvements.The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements (AASC Schedule 2 - Statement of Requirements) gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by Home Office accommodation providers and to the standards expected.