Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to the government of Iraq to allow the safe return of refugees from neighbouring host countries.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK has committed over £30million to help stabilise liberated areas in Iraq by delivering basic services like water and electricity, rebuilding livelihoods, removing mines and supporting community reconciliation. This will contribute to creating the right conditions for refugees and internally displaced people from across the region to safely return to their areas of origin.
The UK is also financially supporting Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey in meeting the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable refugees from across the region, including from Iraq, to alleviate pressure on local communities hosting refugees. The UK is committed to ensuring that any refugee returns take place voluntarily in safety and dignity, in line with international law. We work closely with UNHCR, the official agency mandated to lead discussions with Government, and advocate strongly in refugee host countries on this basis. UNHCR estimate that the total registered Iraqi refugee population is currently 152,976 in Turkey; 17,411 in Lebanon and 60,000 in Jordan.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what dialogue they are holding with the governments of (1) Jordan, (2) Lebanon, and (3) Turkey, to ascertain the number of Iraqi refugees hosted by those countries who wish to return to Iraq, and the obstacles stopping those refugees from so doing.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UK has committed over £30million to help stabilise liberated areas in Iraq by delivering basic services like water and electricity, rebuilding livelihoods, removing mines and supporting community reconciliation. This will contribute to creating the right conditions for refugees and internally displaced people from across the region to safely return to their areas of origin.
The UK is also financially supporting Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey in meeting the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable refugees from across the region, including from Iraq, to alleviate pressure on local communities hosting refugees. The UK is committed to ensuring that any refugee returns take place voluntarily in safety and dignity, in line with international law. We work closely with UNHCR, the official agency mandated to lead discussions with Government, and advocate strongly in refugee host countries on this basis. UNHCR estimate that the total registered Iraqi refugee population is currently 152,976 in Turkey; 17,411 in Lebanon and 60,000 in Jordan.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent estimate of the number of Syrian refugees in Turkey (1) in refugee camps, and (2) outside refugee camps.
Answered by Lord Bates
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that 3.3 million Syrian refugees are currently registered in Turkey. Over 90% of Syrian refugees in Turkey live outside refugee camps in host communities.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the last review of Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice to south east Turkey was undertaken, specifically with reference to (1) Mardin, (2) Diyarbakir, and (3) Şanlıurfa; what risks were identified; and how often that advice is reviewed.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The travel advice to Turkey is kept under regular review, based on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s active monitoring of the situation on the ground. Our assessment remains that the risk of travelling to Mardin, Diyarbakir and Sanliurfa remains unacceptably high.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what aid has been given to (1) NGOs, and (2) the government of Turkey, to support Syrian and Iraqi refugees in (a) Turkish refugee camps, and (b) communities outside refugee camps.
Answered by Lord Bates
In 2016, DFID committed €328 million to the €3 billion EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRIT). The UK also contributes to the FRIT via ongoing EU budget payments.
The FRIT is supporting refugees including Syrians and Iraqis by building schools, providing health services and social welfare payments for the most vulnerable refugees, and providing vital municipal infrastructure such as waste management and water treatment facilities to alleviate pressure on Turkish communities hosting refugees.
The EU works with partners including NGOs, UN agencies and International Financial Institutions to deliver support to refugees and host communities under the FRIT. The Government of Turkey also receive grants for education, health and migration management.
As over 90% of refugees in Turkey live outside refugee camps, most of the FRIT’s assistance is targeted to refugees living in host communities.
Complementing the assistance through the FRIT, the UK also has a number of small bilateral migration and refugee-related projects. These are primarily building up the capacity of Turkish authorities and NGOs to manage the challenges of integrating refugees into communities across Turkey.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the government of Iraq to promote reconciliation within civil society in Iraq.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We recognise that reconciliation is critical to defeating Daesh and ensuring long-term stability within Iraq. At both official and ministerial levels we continue to promote action to ensure that those responsible for human rights abuses are held to account. Through the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund we are supporting community-level reconciliation, reintegration and transitional justice efforts in liberated areas. The UK is also at the forefront of international efforts to bring Daesh to justice. On 21 September, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to adopt UK-proposed Daesh Accountability Resolution 2379, which requests the UN Secretary General to establish an Investigative Team to collect, preserve and store evidence of Daesh crimes, beginning in Iraq. The UK has pledged £1 million as a voluntary contribution to help establish the Investigative Team.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps' (1) support for terrorism and involvement in terrorist attacks in the region and around the world, and (2) role in domestic arrests of human rights activists and arrests of dual citizens.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and associated entities including the IRGC Qods Force are known to be involved in multiple regional conflicts, including operating through proxies. The Government is clear that Iran should cease disruptive involvement in regional conflicts, and should instead look to play a constructive role in regional stability. Within Iran, we have serious concerns about the risk to British/Iranian dual nationals of arbitrary detention. For this reason our travel advice highlights the risks of travel and provides further information for dual nationals. We will continue to maintain dialogue on Iran's regional policies, human rights and particularly our dual national detainees with the Iranian Government. Positive progress in all of these areas is important to the UK.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their most recent assessment of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards corps' involvement in (1) Iran's ballistic missile programme, and (2) possible nuclear and missile co-operation with North Korea.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has operational control of Iran’s ballistic missile programme, and is involved in ballistic missile research and development and flight testing.
We condemn North Korea’s illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes; the Foreign Secretary said in Parliament on 5 September that North Korea’s defiance in developing these programmes has brought universal condemnation. We continue to closely monitor these activities. The assessment of any links between Iran and North Korea is sensitive information. It is the long-standing policy of the Government not to comment on matters relating to intelligence or national security.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they and their international partners are taking to support the return of displaced individuals in Iraq to their home communities, if they wish to return.
Answered by Lord Bates
The majority of UK funding to Iraq is in the form of immediate humanitarian assistance aimed at saving lives. DFID humanitarian assistance is delivered according to need and not conditional on whether an individual intends to return home or remain in a host community. DFID support through cash assistance to vulnerable families, support to health services, water, sanitation, or the return of documentation - may all contribute to an environment conducive to return, but it would be not be possible to specify a percentage given the unique circumstances for the people involved.
In 2017/18 the UK has allocated £40 million in humanitarian assistance to displaced individuals. In addition to this the UK is contributing over £30 million through our Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) this financial year. This includes £5.68 million to the UN Fund for Immediate Stabilisation (FFS) which focusses on encouraging returns by rehabilitating critical infrastructure, regenerating services such as water and electricity and providing livelihood opportunities in newly liberated areas.
Most major international agencies including the EU provide funding via the UN-coordinated Humanitarian Response Plan. The 2017 appeal is for $984m to respond to urgent needs in Iraq and is 64% funded. The plan covers a range of sectors that may encourage solutions such as return, although is similarly not conditional on return. DFID continues to work with the government of Iraq and humanitarian actors to ensure that robust and coordinated response planning is in place going into 2018, including for activities that support displaced people to return home.
Asked by: Lord McInnes of Kilwinning (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much UK aid being provided to Iraq in 2017–18 is focussed on supporting the return of displaced individuals to their home communities, if they wish to return; what proportion that represents of the total annual aid provided to Iraq; and what estimate they have made of the relative proportions provided through (1) the EU, (2) the UN, and (3) other international agencies.
Answered by Lord Bates
The majority of UK funding to Iraq is in the form of immediate humanitarian assistance aimed at saving lives. DFID humanitarian assistance is delivered according to need and not conditional on whether an individual intends to return home or remain in a host community. DFID support through cash assistance to vulnerable families, support to health services, water, sanitation, or the return of documentation - may all contribute to an environment conducive to return, but it would be not be possible to specify a percentage given the unique circumstances for the people involved.
In 2017/18 the UK has allocated £40 million in humanitarian assistance to displaced individuals. In addition to this the UK is contributing over £30 million through our Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) this financial year. This includes £5.68 million to the UN Fund for Immediate Stabilisation (FFS) which focusses on encouraging returns by rehabilitating critical infrastructure, regenerating services such as water and electricity and providing livelihood opportunities in newly liberated areas.
Most major international agencies including the EU provide funding via the UN-coordinated Humanitarian Response Plan. The 2017 appeal is for $984m to respond to urgent needs in Iraq and is 64% funded. The plan covers a range of sectors that may encourage solutions such as return, although is similarly not conditional on return. DFID continues to work with the government of Iraq and humanitarian actors to ensure that robust and coordinated response planning is in place going into 2018, including for activities that support displaced people to return home.