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Written question asked by Lord German (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 2 July 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 July 2026. It was answered by Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour) on Wednesday, 15 July 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.

Asylum: Northern Ireland

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 25 June (HL859), whether information available to them enables them to determine whether a person claiming asylum in Northern Ireland has previously claimed asylum in Ireland; and, if so, what specific information-sharing mechanism or database provides that information.

Answer

We do not routinely share asylum information with Ireland, but as per the commitment made at the 2026 UK-Ireland Summit, between the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach, the UK and Ireland continue to work together, which includes expanding immigration data sharing and will include asylum seekers.

All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to establish their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks - including war crimes, crimes against humanity and terrorism.

These checks are critical to the delivery of a safe and secure immigration system. These system and security database checks are completed during the asylum screening process and before a decision is made.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL1586
Session
2026-27
Related items
Asylum: Northern Ireland
Thursday, 25 June 2026
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects
Asylum Northern Ireland
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk