To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the ability of her Department to operate flights to remove people held in immigration detention during the covid-19 outbreak over the next (a) 28 days, (b) three months and (c) six months.
Answered on
18 May 2020
This answer is a correction from the original answer.
The Home Office continues to monitor the on-going changes to international flight restrictions and entry requirements imposed by receiving countries caused by the global response to COVID-19. Enforced and voluntary returns continue on a case by case basis where we are able to do so. To some destinations, commercial scheduled routes are still open albeit limited. We will continue to work in this flexible manner over the coming weeks and months”being alert to softening of international restrictions, utilising a combination of scheduled commercial flights and specially arranged chartered flights with the support of receiving states to minimise detention time through the facilitation of returns.
Original answer
The Home Office continues to monitor the on-going changes to international flight restrictions and entry requirements imposed by receiving countries caused by the global response to COVID-19.Enforced and voluntary returns continue on a case by case basis where we are able to do so. To some destinations, commercial scheduled routes are still open albeit limited. We will continue to work in this flexible manner over the next six months, being alert to softening of international restrictions, utilising a combination of scheduled commercial flights and specially arranged chartered flights with the support of receiving states to minimise detention time through the facilitation of returns