Asylum

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on asylum, asylum-seekers and refugees. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
04.03.2013	Viral emails protesting about financial assistance for "illegal immigrants/refugees living in Britain"
	A viral email claims that "illegal immigrants/refugees living in Britain" receive significantly more financial assistance from the Government than UK pensioners. The email originates from abroad and the figures quoted do not reflect the true situation in the United Kingdom.
01.03.2013	Asylum decisions: Social Indicators page
	Summary statistics on asylum decisions in the UK.
01.03.2013	Asylum seekers: Social Indicators page
	Summary statistics on asylum seekers.
28.02.2013	Asylum: Financial support for asylum seekers
	Asylum seekers are not eligible for mainstream welfare benefits whilst waiting for a decision on their asylum application. Instead, if they are destitute, they can apply to the UK Border Agency for accommodation and/or financial support. The Government has recently confirmed that it is conducting a review of the asylum support system, which is expected to be completed by the end of the financial year.
02.01.2013	Ending child immigration detention
	The Coalition Agreement committed the Government to ending immigration detention of children. Families with children are no longer detained in Immigration Removal Centres before removal from the UK, although they may be held for up to a week in secure 'pre-departure accommodation' instead.

Research Papers

Date	Description
22.05.2009	Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL] (Bill 86 of 2008-09).
	This paper is on the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL] (Bill 86 of 2008-09). This Bill would deal firstly with the transfer of border customs functions to the new UK Border Agency. It would also introduce new naturalisation requirements and deal with various other citizenship issues. The Bill as it was introduced in the Lords would have provided for immigration control to be introduced on air and sea routes within the Common Travel Area but these provisions were defeated in the Lords. Originally the Bill would also have restricted the involvement of the higher courts in immigration and nationality cases, but a Lords amendment limited the scope of this restriction. The Bill would introduce a new duty on the UK Border Agency to safeguard the welfare of children and make provisions in relation to trafficking babies and children for exploitation.
09.08.2007	The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill Bill 130 of 2006-07
31.01.2007	The UK Borders Bill
30.06.2005	Immigration Asylum and Nationality Bill (Bill 13 of 2005-06)
	Immigration Asylum and Nationality Bill. (Bill 13 of 2005-06). House of Commons Library Research Paper 05/52
12.12.2003	Asylum and Immigration:proposed changes to publicly funded legal advice and representation
	Asylum and Immigration: proposed changes to publicly funded legal advice and representation. House of Commons Library Research Paper 03/89.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
08.03.2011	Draft Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004 (Remedial) Order 2010.
	Human Rights Joint Select Committee report [Commons and Lords]
09.02.2010	The work of the UK Border Agency.
	Government response. Home Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
02.12.2009	Asylum directives: scrutiny of the opt-in decisions.
	European Union Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]
01.12.2009	The work of the UK Border Agency.
	Home Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
03.11.2009	Stockholm Programme: home affairs.
	European Union Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
01.02.2011	BRENDA NAMIGADDE
	That this House is concerned by the imminent proposed deportation of Brenda Namigadde, who has claimed asylum because she fears persecution based on her sexuality; believes the atmosphere ...
08.07.2010	REFUGEE AND MIGRANT JUSTICE (No. 2)
	That this House recognises the outstanding service provided byRefugee and Migrant Justice (RMJ)and expresses regret at its recent closure; notes that the Legal Services Commission (LSC)is ...
01.07.2010	REFUGEE AND MIGRANT JUSTICE
	That this House notes with concern that the entering into administration of refugee and migrant justice has left many of the charity's vulnerable clients without adequate legal representation; ...
09.06.2010	REFUGEE AND MIGRANT JUSTICE CHARITY
	That this House notes that the legal advice charity Refugee and Migrant Justice (RMJ) is in danger of closing because it is facing a cash crisis because a large proportion of legal ...
23.03.2010	UK BORDER AGENCY
	That this House recognises the hard work of Home Office and UK Border Agency (UKBA) staff set out in the Chief Inspector's report into asylum within UKBA; is deeply concerned that the ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
23.01.2012	Question for Short Debate on 2 February: Human Trafficking
	This Lords Library Note provides definitions of human trafficking, statistics on its incidence, and an outline of domestic and international policy to combat the problem.