Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Malta about the alleged return of some 500 persons, including 55 children and pregnant women, from a vessel in international waters, to Benghazi, Libya, where they had been imprisoned.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Tackling irregular migration and organised immigration crime remains an HMG priority. The British High Commission in-country regularly engages the Government of Malta on these issues. During his February 2023 visit, the Foreign Secretary raised migration with the Maltese Home Affairs Minister, and signed our Bilateral Cooperation Framework which included a commitment to restarting our UK-Malta Migration Dialogue. The High Commission has raised this specific case at senior level in the Home Affairs Ministry who advised that 'following multiple verifications of reported position through multiple searches, no boat was sighted in the reported position. Maltese authorities have no jurisdiction over any autonomous actions conducted in International Waters.'
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they have made of the October 2022 report by Médecins Sans Frontières alleging violent maltreatment of refugees on the island of Lesbos, including abductions, and also deprivation of food and basic care.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards and to avoid any action that may endanger human life. We have made no specific assessment in relation to these reports. We regularly discuss migration and treatment of refugees with all of our partners.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they will make to government of Russia to secure the return of 27,000 adult Ukrainians allegedly held in captivity by that government, and any remaining children following the reported return of 371 children.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK condemns the forced transfer of Ukrainian civilians, including children, to Russia. The UK has repeatedly called on Russia to stop this practice, provide information on the whereabouts of these civilians and facilitate their safe return. We have raised this issue directly with the Russian Government and are urging them to allow unhindered access for humanitarian organisations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to provide assistance to those affected populations in Russia, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what were the reasons for the increase from £425,000 in 2021–22 to £3 million in 2023–24 in the grant to Turkey for "return & re-integration assistance", which was diverted from the Overseas Development Assistance budget to Home Office International Operations; and what guarantees they have received that this grant will not be used for compulsory repatriation or refoulement.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The £3 million spend in Turkey in 2022 to 2023 was used to deliver training and equipment and exchange visits in relation to border security and detection of narcotics and illicit cash. An additional spend was utilised to support return and reintegration assistance.