Iran and the Middle East

Lord Dubs Excerpts

Monday 9th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I shall speak to my colleagues at the Home Office about the march. Obviously, how that is policed and what is done about it is rightly a matter for the relevant authorities. On the IRGC, I remind the House that we commissioned a legal report on this, and the recommendation was that the UK Government do not at present have the ability to sanction the IRGC in the way that we would want to, and we are committed to making the necessary changes to allow us to do just that.

[Lord Dubs (Lab)]

My Lords, what assessment have the Government made of the likelihood that the tensions in Lebanon and what is happening in Iran will lead to a flood of people seeking safety in Europe? Are we prepared for this, and are we having discussions with our European friends on how best to handle such a flood of people seeking safety?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

The noble Lord is right, and I am particularly worried about Lebanon and what is happening there. Yes, we are mindful of the impact that this can have on the movement of people—and yes, of course, we are talking to our partners and friends in the European Union about this.