Oral Answers to Questions

Sandy Martin Excerpts

Wednesday 10th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab)]

4. If she will provide additional funding to support and protect Rohingya women living in refugee camps.

[Sandy Martin (Ipswich) (Lab)]

5. If she will provide additional funding to support and protect Rohingya women living in refugee camps.

[Rosie Duffield (Canterbury) (Lab)]

9. If she will provide additional funding to support and protect Rohingya women living in refugee camps.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I remind the House very gently that we are discussing the plight of Rohingya women, which is one of the most egregious plights of any people anywhere in the world and should be treated with appropriate respect.

[Sandy Martin]

Hundreds of thousands of people have died in what has been widely regarded as ethnic cleansing. What assurances have the UK Government sought from the Myanmar Government that the Rohingya women who return will be safe, following the memorandum of understanding with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and should they not include a promise of citizenship?

[Alistair Burt]

When we talk to any of those in the camps, it is quite clear that they will return to Myanmar/Burma only when they feel that it is safe to do so and when they are citizens and their citizenship has been accepted. At present, I do not think that we have any confidence that any women returning to Burma under any memorandum would be in that position. Until that situation changes, the refugees will need to stay, but it is essential that those issues are dealt with in time.