Home Office officials have worked with colleagues within the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to support the completion of the Census, particularly in relation to those currently accommodated within IA / Contingency.

ONS officials are content they have appropriate arrangements in place for other asylum seekers accommodated within community settings.

The UK has a proud record of providing protection to individuals fleeing persecution based on their religious beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity and are committed to delivering an asylum system that is responsive to all forms of persecution.

We have previously worked closely with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief and associated stakeholders, to produce a specialist training package designed to ensure that where religion or belief is raised in an asylum claim, decision makers appropriately consider all the available evidence. The course has now been rolled out to all relevant staff and we will continue to update this as and when required, working with relevant parties.

The Home Office continue to work with organisations specialising in sexual orientation/gender identity to further our work for LGBT+ people, including the development of a new interview training workshop that is being developed in consultation with UK Lesbian Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG). It is hoped that, if successful, this training will be rolled out in the next few months.

Updated policy guidance on how to approach religious based claims and sexual orientation has been published, including guidance on the need to ensure appropriate and sensitive questions are asked during asylum interviews.

Our processes are underpinned by a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks, ensuring that claims based on LGBT+ issues are properly considered, decisions are sound, and that protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.

We do not have any plans to publish the findings of this internal review.

The UK has a proud record of providing protection to individuals fleeing persecution based on their religious beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity and are committed to delivering an asylum system that is responsive to all forms of persecution.

We have previously worked closely with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief and associated stakeholders, to produce a specialist training package designed to ensure that where religion or belief is raised in an asylum claim, decision makers appropriately consider all the available evidence. The course has now been rolled out to all relevant staff and we will continue to update this as and when required, working with relevant parties.

The Home Office continue to work with organisations specialising in sexual orientation/gender identity to further our work for LGBT+ people, including the development of a new interview training workshop that is being developed in consultation with UK Lesbian Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG). It is hoped that, if successful, this training will be rolled out in the next few months.

Updated policy guidance on how to approach religious based claims and sexual orientation has been published, including guidance on the need to ensure appropriate and sensitive questions are asked during asylum interviews.

Our processes are underpinned by a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks, ensuring that claims based on LGBT+ issues are properly considered, decisions are sound, and that protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.

We do not have any plans to publish the findings of this internal review.

The UK has a proud record of providing protection to individuals fleeing persecution based on their religious beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity and are committed to delivering an asylum system that is responsive to all forms of persecution.

We have previously worked closely with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief and associated stakeholders, to produce a specialist training package designed to ensure that where religion or belief is raised in an asylum claim, decision makers appropriately consider all the available evidence. The course has now been rolled out to all relevant staff and we will continue to update this as and when required, working with relevant parties.

The Home Office continue to work with organisations specialising in sexual orientation/gender identity to further our work for LGBT+ people, including the development of a new interview training workshop that is being developed in consultation with UK Lesbian Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG). It is hoped that, if successful, this training will be rolled out in the next few months.

Updated policy guidance on how to approach religious based claims and sexual orientation has been published, including guidance on the need to ensure appropriate and sensitive questions are asked during asylum interviews.

Our processes are underpinned by a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks, ensuring that claims based on LGBT+ issues are properly considered, decisions are sound, and that protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.

We do not have any plans to publish the findings of this internal review.

The UK has a proud record of providing protection to individuals fleeing persecution based on their religious beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity and are committed to delivering an asylum system that is responsive to all forms of persecution.

We have previously worked closely with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief and associated stakeholders, to produce a specialist training package designed to ensure that where religion or belief is raised in an asylum claim, decision makers appropriately consider all the available evidence. The course has now been rolled out to all relevant staff and we will continue to update this as and when required, working with relevant parties.

The Home Office continue to work with organisations specialising in sexual orientation/gender identity to further our work for LGBT+ people, including the development of a new interview training workshop that is being developed in consultation with UK Lesbian Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG). It is hoped that, if successful, this training will be rolled out in the next few months.

Updated policy guidance on how to approach religious based claims and sexual orientation has been published, including guidance on the need to ensure appropriate and sensitive questions are asked during asylum interviews.

Our processes are underpinned by a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks, ensuring that claims based on LGBT+ issues are properly considered, decisions are sound, and that protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.

We do not have any plans to publish the findings of this internal review.

The UK has a proud record of providing protection to individuals fleeing persecution based on their religious beliefs, sexual orientation and gender identity and are committed to delivering an asylum system that is responsive to all forms of persecution.

We have previously worked closely with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief and associated stakeholders, to produce a specialist training package designed to ensure that where religion or belief is raised in an asylum claim, decision makers appropriately consider all the available evidence. The course has now been rolled out to all relevant staff and we will continue to update this as and when required, working with relevant parties.

The Home Office continue to work with organisations specialising in sexual orientation/gender identity to further our work for LGBT+ people, including the development of a new interview training workshop that is being developed in consultation with UK Lesbian Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG). It is hoped that, if successful, this training will be rolled out in the next few months.

Updated policy guidance on how to approach religious based claims and sexual orientation has been published, including guidance on the need to ensure appropriate and sensitive questions are asked during asylum interviews.

Our processes are underpinned by a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks, ensuring that claims based on LGBT+ issues are properly considered, decisions are sound, and that protection is granted to those who genuinely need it.

We do not have any plans to publish the findings of this internal review.

It is important to distinguish between those who need protection and those seeking to work here, who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. Our wider policy could be undermined if migrants bypassed work visa Rules by lodging unfounded asylum claims here.

Unrestricted access to employment could act as an incentive for more migrants to choose to come here illegally, rather than claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.

Although pull factors are complex, we cannot ignore that access to the labour market is among the reasons that so many people currently undertake the extremely hazardous journey across the channel in small boats. When so many lives are put in danger in this way, we cannot have a policy that raises those risks, whatever the number affected.

A review of asylum seeker right to work policy is ongoing, and we are considering the evidence put forward on the issue. The findings of the review will be announced once the work has been completed.

In March 2020, at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Home Office paused ending support for people who had been granted asylum, or whose claim had been refused. This was done in respect of the full lockdown in place at that time, including a stop on house moves and a stop on people being moved out of rental property.

We said from the outset that this was a temporary measure which would be brought to an end as soon as it was safe to do so.

In August the Home Office restarted cessations of support in a phased way. This is necessary to reduce demand on the asylum system while prioritising the safety of those within the asylum system. We are not currently issuing discontinuation notices for those on Section 4 support. The process of issuing discontinuation notices is kept under regular review, taking consideration of public health guidance and reviewing each case on its individual merits.

We have been working closely with National and Local health Colleagues throughout the pandemic to inform our approach and will continue to do so. We remain committed to working closely with the accommodation providers and communicating with local authorities to relieve pressure and capacity as much as possible.

For the year 2020, we are continuing to prioritise claims to concentrate on older claims, cases with acute vulnerability and those in receipt of the greatest level of support, including Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC). Additionally, we are prioritising cases where an individual has already received a decision, but a reconsideration is required.

Asylum Operations are dealing with sustained high levels of new applications which is creating pressure, however we are working to balance the overall needs of the system to ensure cases are appropriately prioritised.

There have been some operational challenges resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak that has impacted our decision making across all claims.

We are continuing to formulate plans on a new service standard for all asylum claims, which should provide asylum seekers and partners with clear expectations of how and when a decision should be made.

Asylum seekers are allowed to work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own.

Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, which is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.

The Home Office is currently reviewing policy on the right to work for asylum seekers. As part of the review the Home Office will assess the fiscal effects of changes to the policy. Once the review is completed and published, the Home Office will be able to answer questions in respect of its methodology.

We have previously raised our concerns with the Greek government on conditions in overcrowded migrant camps, including with the Foreign Minister. We will continue to raise issues of long term management of migration pressures through our bilateral exchanges.

Officials from the British Embassy have been engaging with the Greek authorities locally following the fire in the Moria migrant camp. The UK is responding to requests by the Greek Government to provide specific humanitarian goods and is urgently making plans for the delivery of these goods. We will work with our partners to ensure these supplies are fairly distributed and reach those most in need.

The UK has presented a genuine and sincere offer to the EU on a future reciprocal arrangement for the family reunion of unaccompanied children seeking asylum (UASC) in either the EU or the UK, where it is in the child's best interests. Furthermore, individuals who have been granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK will continue to be able to be joined by family members under the refugee family reunion rules. These routes are unaffected by our exit from the EU.

The Home Office has not made an estimate of this cost.

Asylum seekers can work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months, through no fault of their own. Those allowed to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, which is published by the Home Office and based on expert advice from the Migration Advisory Committee.

It is important to distinguish between those who need protection and those seeking to work here, who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. Our wider policy could be undermined if migrants bypassed work visa Rules by lodging unfounded asylum claims here.

As part of the plans to speed up Asylum decision making, over the last 18 months, UK Visas and Immigration have increased the number of Asylum decision makers and support staff as part of a rolling recruitment campaign and mobilised a transformation programme that seeks to simplify, streamline and digitise processes.

The Home Office and it’s accommodation providers take the welfare of service users seriously.

The accommodation provided is safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped and it is also required to comply with the Decent Homes Standard in addition to standards outlined in relevant national or local housing legislation. Where providers are found not to meet these standards, appropriate action is taken to hold providers to account and resolve concerns.

The Home Office is in daily contact with service providers to ensure that the Government continues to meet its statutory obligation to house destitute asylum seekers and to ensure that all contracted support services are delivered, and service users are housed safely. This is in addition to the monthly and quarterly formal performance boards.

We are currently reviewing this report and will respond to the authors in due course, however we reject the suggestion that we provide inadequate support to asylum seekers.