Written questions by Yasin.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent passport requirement changes for dual nationals travelling to the UK on the level of (a) passport application (i) volumes and (ii) processing times and (b) the use of certificates of entitlement to the right of abode.

Information about passport application volumes and performance are published quarterly, and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/migration-transparency-data.There have been no changes to the published customer guidance for the expected timeframe to process passport applications.Quarterly data for the issuing of Certificates of Entitlement can be found in the detailed entry clearance visa dataset (Vis-D02) at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables.

With reference to the protest-related provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, how the Government will ensure that these powers are not used in a way that suppresses legitimate dissent; and what independent oversight and accountability mechanisms will be put in place to prevent disproportionate or discriminatory application.

The right to peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy. It is a long‑standing tradition in the UK that people are free to gather and express their views, provided they do so within the law.The Government is taking the Crime and Policing Bill through Parliament to equip the police with targeted powers to manage evolving protest tactics while safeguarding the right to lawful protest. All protest legislation has been developed in line with the UK’s obligations under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The use of these powers and the management of demonstrations are operational matters for the police.The Government keeps all public order legislation under constant review and has also launched an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation, led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC. The review is underway and will report in spring 2026.

Whether her Department is taking steps to promote the adoption of standards such as BS 25700 to support organisations in meeting their obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

This Government is clear that no company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain and encourages businesses to monitor their supply chains with rigour, to uncover and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find.The Government published new transparency in supply chains statutory guidance in March 2025. This new guidance is more comprehensive, practical and ambitious – calling on businesses to go further and faster.The Home Office worked with a wide group of stakeholders from business, academia and civil society to ensure the guidance reflects current best practice and international standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Due Diligence Guidance.This will support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to modern slavery.The BSI standard on modern slavery (BSI25700) provides similar guidance to support businesses assess and monitor their supply chains. We encourage businesses to draw on all available guidance and standards to continue to improve their supply chain monitoring.

What steps the Government is taking to ensure that displaced Ukrainians in the United Kingdom have access to long-term residency, education, and employment; how it determines whether return to Ukraine is considered safe; and what measures are in place to ensure that policies affecting displaced Ukrainians are applied fairly and in accordance with human rights obligations, including the best interests of children.

The UK’s support for Ukraine remains steadfast and, together with our partners and allies, the UK stands in solidarity with Ukraine and condemns the Russian government’s unprovoked and premeditated war. Since the launch of the Ukraine schemes, the UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 310,000 Ukrainians and their families through the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, and the Ukraine Extension Scheme. The Government has already taken significant steps to extend support for those in the UK under the Ukraine visa schemes. Since February 2025, individuals have been able to apply to the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme for a further 18 months’ permission, with continued access to work, benefits, healthcare and education. On 1 September 2025, the Government announced a further 24‑month extension to the scheme, providing additional certainty and stability for Ukrainian guests and reflecting our ongoing commitment to support those displaced by the conflict. The Government has been clear from the outset that the Ukraine scheme routes are temporary and do not provide a direct path to settlement, in line with the Ukrainian government’s strong desire for its citizens to return home when it is safe to do so.The Government recognises the importance of providing longer‑term clarity for Ukrainians beyond the lifetime of UPE, and a further statement setting out the long‑term position will be issued in due course. As part of this process, the safety situation in Ukraine will also be considered.

What proportion of police time is spent on possession offences compared with tackling organised drug crime.

The Police Activity Survey (PAS) provides an estimate of how much police time is spent on various policing activities. The PAS was conducted over a 7-day period in February 2023, with 35 out of the 43 police forces in England and Wales participating.The results show that over this period, responding to specific crime incident activity accounts for 34.9% of all recorded police time. Of the time spent on specific crime incident activity, 3.1% was spent on possession of drug crime incidents, 2.7% on possession of weapons incidents and 5.6% on trafficking of drug incidents.The PAS does not capture whether or not the offences were organised crime related. Therefore, no specific data is available on the proportion of time spent on tackling organised drug crime.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of employers not providing the work guaranteed under a visa sponsorship agreement on migrant care workers; what steps her Department is taking to ensure that such workers are not disadvantaged as a result of sponsor non-compliance; and how any changes to settlement requirements, including the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain, will take account of individuals who have been unable to work or accrue National Insurance contributions due to circumstances beyond their control.

This Government is acutely aware of the levels of sponsor non-compliance in the care sector and this includes failing to provide adequate paid work. In response, we have revoked the licenses of more than 1000 care providers who are now no longer able to sponsor migrant workers. The Home Office continues to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funded Regional Partnerships to support care workers, who have been impacted by exploitative employers. DHSC are funding 15 regional hubs in England, made up of Local Authorities and Directors of Adult Social Services, working together to support displaced workers into new roles within the care sector. These regional hubs have received £12.5 million this financial year to support them to prevent and respond to unethical practices in the sector. The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. It also set out mandatory requirements for settlement, including a minimum level of National Insurance contributions. A public consultation was launched on 20 November 2025 and is open until 12 February 2026. The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the government’s proposed Earned Settlement reforms on disabled partner visa applicants and primary carers, including the proposed personal earnings requirement; what steps her Department is taking to ensure that such reforms do not indirectly discriminate against those with protected characteristics; and what transitional arrangements will apply to families already on the partner route to prevent retrospective disadvantage.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. It is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.The consultation seeks views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups, including disabled people and carers. Details of the earned settlement model 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 the National Crime Agency is taking to investigate organised financial crime networks coordinating fraud schemes involving overseas equities and UK-based victims; and whether she is making additional enforcement resources available to support those investigations.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) continuously assesses the origin of organised financial networks targeting UK based victims from overseas and does so through in-depth analysis of intelligence from across the public and private sectors.This analysis enables the identification of key jurisdictions of risk which in-turn determines the prioritisation of resources and enrichment of partnerships with international law enforcement, the latter being afforded by the NCA’s niche capability of an international network comprising officers deployed in 50 countries worldwide.Through these relationships, the NCA seek to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups using various tools including protracted joint investigations, capacity building and information sharing. Efforts this year, have resulted in a significant uplift on executive action being undertaken in source countries which have specifically targeted UK victims through high-harm fraud threats types.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of implementing a (a) resettlement and (b) reunification scheme for citizens of Lebanon with family connections to the UK.

We are deeply concerned by the rising tensions and civilian casualties in Lebanon. Lebanese nationals who wish to come to the UK can do so via the existing range of routes available.Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. Immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes. There are also routes available for dependants of those who are in the UK on a work or student route. Individuals with protection status or settlement on a protection route may sponsor their partner or child (under 18), to join or stay with them in the UK, providing they formed part of the pre-flight family unit before the sponsor fled their country to seek protection. We are monitoring the situation in Lebanon closely and keeping all existing pathways under constant review.