Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Afghans have been accepted under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme whose resettlement is suspended; what is the cause of, and what steps are being taken to resolve, such suspensions; and what assistance is being provided to families pending resettlement.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We continue to honour our commitment to bring eligible Afghans to the UK and plans are underway to relocate families as soon as possible. Data on how many Afghans have been accepted on ACRS and are in third countries is internal operational data and not for release at this time.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how are decisions made on, and what is the process for, resettling more Afghans from Pakistan who are facing expulsion in addition to the 3,000 already accepted under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme; and what steps they are taking in that regard, including on prioritising the 20 female Afghan judges who are in Pakistan.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Resettlement of eligible Afghans remains a top priority for this government. As of June 2023, around 24,600 vulnerable people affected by the events in Afghanistan have been brought to safety. This includes British Nationals and their families, Afghans who loyally served the UK and others identified as particularly at-risk, such as campaigners for women’s rights, human rights defenders, Chevening scholars, journalists, judges and members of the LGBT+ community.
We are aware of the recent Government of Pakistan announcements regarding Afghans in Pakistan and appreciate the impact of this on those awaiting resettlement. HMG has engaged intensively with the Government of Pakistan to secure assurances that none of those eligible under the UK’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will be subject to deportation.
Visas continue to be issued to individuals eligible for the ACRS and ARAP schemes and flights are continuing to bring eligible Afghans to the UK.
The ACRS is not open to applications. Instead, eligible individuals are prioritised and referred for resettlement to the UK through the existing pathways under this scheme. We are not certain which female Afghan judges the question refers to; however our Afghan schemes have been designed to be fair and equitable in identifying those in need of resettlement or relocation to the UK. As has been the practice under successive governments, the Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.
We recognise there are many vulnerable individuals who remain in Afghanistan and the region. Whilst the UK maintains a generous resettlement offer, we must recognise that the capacity of the UK to resettle people is not unlimited, and difficult decisions have to be made on who will be prioritised for resettlement.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the treatment of Jimmy Lai, currently imprisoned in Hong Kong; and what discussions they have had with the Hong Kong government regarding the fairness and integrity of Mr Lai’s trial.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary made clear in the latest Six-monthly Report to Parliament, published on 19 September, Jimmy Lai and others are being deliberately targeted under the guise of national security to silence criticism. The Foreign Secretary has made clear our views and raised Mr Lai's case with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, most recently on 31 August. The Minister for the Indo-Pacific also raised Mr Lai's case with Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, on 18 April. Senior officials have and will continue to raise cases such as Mr Lai's with the Hong Kong authorities. We continue to press for consular access to Mr Lai and diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong attend Mr Lai's court proceedings.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current state of media freedom in Hong Kong; and what discussions they have had with the Hong Kong government regarding this.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Under the National Security Law, a once free and vibrant press in Hong Kong has been severely diminished. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in the latest Six-monthly Report to Parliament, published on 19 September, journalists and other media workers are being deliberately targeted under the guise of national security to silence criticism. The Foreign Secretary has made clear our views on the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy, rights and freedoms at the UN Human Rights Council and with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, most recently on 31 August. We were honoured to lead a side event in Geneva on 27 September on media freedom in Hong Kong. Co-sponsorship by 24 countries is a clear signal of the level of international concern at the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the treatment of Taiwanese national and activist Yang Chih-yuan, who was arrested in Zhejiang, China, in August 2022, meets international standards on the treatment of prisoners, including the United Nations' Nelson Mandela Rules.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are increasing restrictions on civil and political rights and freedom of expression in China. The UK Government continues to monitor the treatment of prisoners in China, including Yang Chih-yuan. We regularly raise human rights and freedom of speech concerns directly with the Chinese authorities and in multilateral fora. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on 20 February 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Yazidi Justice Committee State Responsibility and the Genocide of the Yazidis, published on 6 July, what plans they have to prevent any acts in contravention of the Genocide Convention from being carried out against the Yazidis.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We note the Yazidi Justice Committee's report on "State Responsibility and the Yazidi Genocide". The UK is supporting the Government of Iraq to take the necessary actions to secure justice for victims of Daesh's crimes in Iraq, including the Yazidis. The UK advocated strongly for the passing of the Yazidi Survivors Law in March 2021 and continues to advocate for the work of the Directorate of Yazidi Affairs, which is responsible for providing reparations to survivors and supporting judicial bodies hold perpetrators to account. UK Ministers regularly raise the importance of full implementation of the Yazidi Survivors law with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government, most recently by me in the week 4 July. In parallel, we have also provided £2 million to the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD).
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Yazidi Justice Committee State Responsibility and the Genocide of the Yazidis, published on 6 July; and what steps they plan to take in response.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We note the Yazidi Justice Committee's report on "State Responsibility and the Yazidi Genocide". The UK is supporting the Government of Iraq to take the necessary actions to secure justice for victims of Daesh's crimes in Iraq, including the Yazidis. The UK advocated strongly for the passing of the Yazidi Survivors Law in March 2021 and continues to advocate for the work of the Directorate of Yazidi Affairs, which is responsible for providing reparations to survivors and supporting judicial bodies hold perpetrators to account. UK Ministers regularly raise the importance of full implementation of the Yazidi Survivors law with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government, most recently by me in the week 4 July. In parallel, we have also provided £2 million to the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD).
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Yazidi Justice Committee State Responsibility and the Genocide of the Yazidis, published on 6 July, what steps they are taking to urge Syria to enact domestic legislation to ensure that the Genocide Convention is upheld in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to highlighting the appalling violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria and to pursuing accountability for the most serious crimes. We use our position at the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council and our leadership of the regular Syria resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council to draw international attention to the ongoing human rights violations and abuses in Syria, and consistently call for Syria to abide by international human rights conventions and norms. The UK Government supports efforts to pursue accountability for the most serious crimes committed in Syria, including through the UN Commission of Inquiry and the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism with which we signed an Memorandum of Understanding in March this year. These bodies were established with the express purpose of inquiring into and investigating potential war crimes. The UK has previously voted at the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court but such action has been blocked by Russia and China.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Yazidi Justice Committee State Responsibility and the Genocide of the Yazidis, published on 6 July, what steps they will take if Syria does not punish the perpetrators of genocide resident in that country; and what plans they have, if any, to urge the UN Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to highlighting the appalling violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria and to pursuing accountability for the most serious crimes. We use our position at the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council and our leadership of the regular Syria resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council to draw international attention to the ongoing human rights violations and abuses in Syria, and consistently call for Syria to abide by international human rights conventions and norms. The UK Government supports efforts to pursue accountability for the most serious crimes committed in Syria, including through the UN Commission of Inquiry and the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism with which we signed an Memorandum of Understanding in March this year. These bodies were established with the express purpose of inquiring into and investigating potential war crimes. The UK has previously voted at the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court but such action has been blocked by Russia and China.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Yazidi Justice Committee State Responsibility and the Genocide of the Yazidis, published on 6 July; and in particular, the conclusion that Syria failed in its obligation to (1) prevent, and (2) punish, genocides against the Yazidis; and what steps they are taking to hold Syria to account.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We note the findings from the Yazidi Justice Committee report. The UK is supporting the Government of Iraq to take the necessary actions to secure justice for the Yazidi people and many other victims of Daesh's crimes. We regularly emphasise the need for dialogue and cooperation between Turkey and Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, to combat terrorism, ensure regional security, and protect civilians including religious and ethnic minorities.
We will continue to use our position at the UN, including as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and our leadership of the regular Syria resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council to draw international attention to the ongoing human rights violations and abuses in Syria, to raise situations of concern and to deploy all appropriate tools available to the UN in dealing with potential mass atrocities. Our focus is always on securing an end to violence, protecting civilians and calling for accountability.