Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on (a) negotiations and (b) agreements between Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

The UK has repeatedly urged Burma's Government to ensure the return of refugees who have fled to Bangladesh, and to work with the Government of Bangladesh to ensure this takes place in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner. The UK proposed and secured a UN Security Council Presidential Statement on 6 November which made clear this was also the call of the international community.

The Governments of Burma and Bangladesh signed an agreement for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees on 23 November. This is available online: http://www.newagebd.net/article/29149/index.php .

This agreement covers refugees who fled to Bangladesh since October 2016. It includes a commitment from the Government of Burma to allow refugees to return to their original places of residence or a safe and secure place of their choice. These commitments are a positive step but we need to see them implemented in practice. We also call for Burma to extend the same commitment to Rohingya who fled from Burma before October 2016.