Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Pakistan regarding reports that from 31 March it intends to return to Afghanistan all undocumented refugees, including women judges whose US visas have been revoked.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are aware that the Government of Pakistan has announced its intention to recommence deportations in April 2025. We are closely monitoring the Government of Pakistan's policy and are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to ensure Pakistan adheres to its international human rights obligations. We continue to raise concerns with the Government of Pakistan regarding the humanitarian implications of the deportation of Afghan refugees. The visa process and issuance of documentation to Afghan refugees is a matter for Pakistani authorities, who ultimately reserve the right to decide the eligibility criteria for applicants.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to impose targeted sanctions against the individuals responsible for the arbitrary detention of British citizen Ryan Cornelius in the United Arab Emirates.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Sanctions can be used to achieve a range of foreign and security policy objectives. We use sanctions when they complement other tools as part of a wider strategy. We consider designations under our sanctions regimes, including the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations, guided by the evidence and the objectives of the sanctions regime. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make a new appeal for clemency for Ryan Cornelius by the end of Ramadan, in accordance with United Arab Emirate law; and whether they plan to make a public statement in support of this plea for clemency.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Minister for the Middle East submitted a supporting letter alongside Mr Cornelius' clemency application to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, on 30 January ahead of the next round of pardons. The Government's support of Mr Cornelius' clemency application is already public.
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 fair trial rights in the United Arab Emirates, in the light of the cases of British citizens detained there, and considering the recent UAE84 mass trial highlighted by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK has a strong history of protecting human rights and promoting our values globally. We continue to encourage all states, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to uphold international human rights obligations.
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 Ryan Cornelius’ health and treatment while in detention in the United Arab Emirates.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) prioritises Mr Cornelius' welfare. Since he was first detained in 2008, FCDO consular staff in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been in regular contact with him. If Mr Cornelius has any health or welfare concerns, with his consent, we can raise these with the UAE authorities.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made, if any, on behalf of Ryan Cornelius in the ongoing negotiations for the free trade agreement between the UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Consular cases are not raised as part of trade negotiations. We continue to provide consular support to Ryan Cornelius.
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 in the light of the urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture of 12 September regarding the detention conditions of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the urgent appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture with respect to British national Jimmy Lai and are deeply concerned by the allegations of torture and mistreatment it makes. The Foreign Secretary raised Jimmy Lai's case in his first meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Summit on 26 July and his case remains a priority for this Government. I met with Sebastien Lai and Jimmy Lai's international legal team on Tuesday 8 October. We will continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Jimmy Lai and we will continue to press for consular access.
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 the United Nations Secretary-General's report Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, published on 20 August, and what further steps they will take to protect British lawyers working with the United Nations, in the light of the reprisals against Jimmy Lai’s international legal team referred to in the report.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the UK set out in a statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 27 September, the content of the UN's report on 'Cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights' is deeply troubling, including the reports of intimidation and harassment against the son of Jimmy Lai and his international legal team. I met with Sebastien Lai and Jimmy Lai's international legal team on Tuesday 8 October.
Any attempts to coerce, intimidate or harm those who cooperate with the United Nations are unacceptable. The UK unequivocally condemns each and every act of intimidation or reprisal.
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.