Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Joy Morrissey and Dominic Raab

Tuesday 4th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Joy Morrissey (Beaconsfield) (Con)]

T7. Will the Minister provide an update on why the Chinese Government are not giving permission for their citizens to leave the country with their British partners?

[Dominic Raab]

I appreciate my hon. Friend raising this very important issue. There are huge challenges in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. We are working collaboratively with the Chinese. There is clearly a tension between the desire from our point of view to ensure that UK nationals and their dependants, whatever their nationality, can return to the UK, and the legitimate desire of the Chinese to prevent the spread of the virus. I have spoken to the Chinese Foreign Minister and received reassurances that no UK-national-related families who want to return to the UK will find themselves divided on the basis of dual or split nationality among their families.