Written questions by Hanna.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including Palestinians within the Refugee Resettlement scheme.

In the Restoring Order and Control statement, published in November 2025, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme and capped routes for refugee and displaced students to come to the UK to study or for work.Work is underway to deliver the new routes. Further details, including who will be eligible for the new routes, will be set out in due course.The UK Resettlement Scheme is not currently taking new referrals. We are working through the role of the UKRS in the future landscape of safe and legal routes.

What factors were considered by her Department when launching the Ukrainian Visa Schemes; and whether this Department has made a similar assessment for any other state specific visa scheme.

In response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Government set up three generous Ukraine schemes at pace; the Ukraine Family Scheme, Homes for Ukraine Scheme and the Ukraine Extension Scheme. The Government’s priority in setting up the schemes was to get Ukrainians to safety as quickly as possible.The Ukraine Schemes were developed in close consultation with Ukrainian leaders and the diaspora community. We will continue to work closely together to ensure any changes are as accessible as possible for eligible Ukrainians and their families.In any humanitarian situation, the UK must carefully consider its approach in response. Any decision to implement a bespoke visa scheme would need to consider a range of factors, including assessing the unique crisis and relevant impacts on security, compliance and returns.

Whether she plans to establish a commissioner for covert law enforcement in Northern Ireland that could help ensure covert surveillance techniques are only used within the law.

Oversight of the use of investigatory powers in Northern Ireland is provided by the UK-wide Investigatory Powers Commissioner.The Commissioner’s role is to ensure that such use is necessary and proportionate and in accordance with the law. This arrangement also has the benefit of ensuring the scrutiny of these powers is consistent across the United Kingdom.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on making provisions for Iranians seeking asylum in the UK.

We are continuing to interview and decide asylum and human rights claims from Iranian nationals. Each claim continues to be assessed on its individual merits. The UK has experience in managing fastmoving country situations, and the current circumstances in Iran are not unique in that regard. The Home Office will continue to monitor developments closely and update relevant country information as appropriate.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of services for processing of asylum claims from Somali nationals.

The Home Office provides a variety of services to facilitate the processing of all asylum claims, irrespective of nationality. This includes provision of interpreters, interviewing officers, decision makers, and legal representation on an entitlement basis. We have a legal obligation, as set out in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, to support asylum seekers (including any dependants) who would otherwise be destitute, with support payments and accommodation. No separate assessment of the adequacy of services for processing of asylum claims from Somali nationals has been completed. We signpost to additional sources of support and advice as appropriate, including via the Asylum Safeguarding Hub. The Information booklet about your asylum application is provided to all asylum claimants and includes both telephone numbers and website addresses of various organisations that assist asylum seekers with specific needs. Migrant Help are also funded to provide independent support and advice to all asylum claimants about the asylum process in the UK and accessing relevant services.

What her Department’s policy is on managing applications from Syrians who entered the UK under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

On 14 July 2025, we published updated country information which enabled decision making to resume on Syrian asylum and settlement protection claims. Where an applicant arrived in the UK via the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, we will proceed straight to considering a grant of indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Claimants will be required to meet the relevant validity (i.e. apply on the relevant form and establish their identity) and suitability requirements (i.e. consideration of any criminals' convictions) of the settlement protection policy.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of recommencement of processing settlement applications from Syrians.

On 14 July 2025, we published updated country information which enabled decision making to resume on Syrian asylum and settlement protection claims. Where an applicant arrived in the UK via the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, we will proceed straight to considering a grant of indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Claimants will be required to meet the relevant validity (i.e. apply on the relevant form and establish their identity) and suitability requirements (i.e. consideration of any criminals' convictions) of the settlement protection policy.

What methods are available to allow Syrians who arrived under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to demonstrate their (a) right to (i) work and (ii) study in the UK and (b) recourse to public funds.

Syrians resettled under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) were granted permission to work and recourse to public funds on arrival in the UK.The UK has transitioned to a fully digital immigration system, replacing physical documents such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and visa vignettes with eVisas, which now serve as the primary proof of immigration status.An eVisa shows an individual’s identity and immigration status, including right to work, rent or access public funds.Individuals use their UKVI account to generate a share code to prove their status to employers, landlords or carriers, including when travelling.

If she would publish the (a) dates and (b) names of the institutions in which Brian Nelson served his sentence after his conviction in 1974.

This information is not held by the Home Office.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the time taken to process certificate of sponsorship applications.

It is the responsibility of individual businesses to monitor the visa expiry dates of their overseas employees and to take appropriate action to ensure continuity of employment. The published service standard for non-complex Undefined Certificate of Sponsorship (UCoS) allocations and renewals is 18 weeks, as outlined on GOV.UK. Businesses may also opt to use the priority service, which aims to process requests within 5 working days. Responsibility for submitting timely applications or updates lies with the sponsoring business. Where necessary, the Home Office conducts additional checks to maintain the integrity of the immigration system, which may delay the processing of applications to assure ourselves that requests are genuine and full-time work and employment will be given to a prospective employee, for their own protection. UK visa sponsorship for employers: Your responsibilities - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) The Home Office is currently operating within the published service standards for all Sponsorship applications and keeps all service offerings under review.

Whether people living in the UK on family visas will be exempt from the sustained economic contribution requirement under proposed changes to earned settlement.

The new earned settlement model is currently subject to an ongoing public consultation, due to conclude on 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.

When the Labour Market Evidence Group plans to visit Northern Ireland to consult local businesses.

The Labour Market Evidence Group (LMEG) is supporting the UK Government’s aim to rebalance UK labour market away from an over-reliance on international recruitment and towards domestic workers and ensuring that growth-driving sectors have access to the skilled workers they need now and into the future. LMEG has been established and is meeting regularly at working level with the first formal meeting of LMEG taking place on 29th July 2025. That meeting contained representatives from:the Industrial Strategy Advisory Councilthe Department for Work and PensionsSkills England and equivalent organisations in the Devolved Governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Irelandthe Migration Advisory CommitteeAt the first meeting LMEG members agreed a workplan in collaboration with Devolved Governments including Northern Ireland Executive. This workplan will support LMEG’s ambition, as set out in the Immigration White Paper, of working together to gather and share evidence about the state of the workforce, training levels and participation in the domestic labour market, including at Devolved Government and regional levels.

With reference to the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System of 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of (a) levels of current migrant staffing and (b) the potential merits of increasing necessary staff supply in the health and social care system in Northern Ireland.

The Home Office does not monitor the staffing levels of specific sectors; this should be directed to the Northern Ireland’s Department of Health. It is open to the Health and Care sectors to use the options available to them; this includes international recruitment providing they meet the requirements of the relevant visa route, primarily the Health and Care visa. There are no limits on the number of staff that can be recruited under the Health and Care visa system providing the criteria are met. However, the Government is clear that the health and social care sector, alongside other sectors, needs to reduce its reliance on international recruitment and increase its staffing supply from the domestic workforce. We will continue to work with Governments across all parts of the United Kingdom.

How many eVisa errors were reported using the online portal in the last six months.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

How many eVisa errors remain unresolved.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

With reference to paragraph 264 of the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, CP 1326, published on 12 May 2025, whether her Department has undertaken an impact assessment in relation to its proposals to increase the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.

How many (a) British and (b) Irish citizens emigrated from Northern Ireland in 2024.

The Home Office does not hold this information.

What the average waiting time for a decision for any asylum seeker is once they have received confirmation that their application is receiving prioritisation due to compassionate circumstances.

The requested information is not currently available from published data and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost. However, the Home Office does publish data on the number of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision by duration in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum detailed datasets’, as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Additionally, data on the percentage of applications processed within 6 months is published in table ASY_01 of the ‘Immigration and Protection’ data of the Migration Transparency Data collection.

What the average waiting time is for any asylum seeker to receive a decision from the date they claimed asylum.

The average time taken to process a substantive decision is not currently available from published data and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost. However, the Home Office does publish data on the number of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision by duration in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum detailed datasets’, as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Additionally, data on the percentage of applications processed within 6 months is published in table ASY_01 of the ‘Immigration and Protection’ data of the Migration Transparency Data collection.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the forthcoming white paper on immigration (a) reflects the requirements of (i) the mushroom sector and (ii) other agricultural sectors in Northern Ireland and (b) addresses issues of Northern Ireland abutting the EU land border.

The Home Office actively and regularly engages with the Devolved Governments at Ministerial level, and the Devolved Governments were invited to submit suggestions for inclusion in the Immigration White Paper (IWP), with further engagement taking place ahead of its publication.The IWP, which was published on 12 May 2025, links migration with skills policy for all parts of the UK, and we will continue to work with the Devolved Governments as we move forward. A copy of the IWP has been placed in the House of Commons Library.