Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Iraqi government on measures to assist Yazidi refugees to return to their homes.

Through our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate-General in Erbil we consistently urge the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure the safe, voluntary and unhindered return of all Internally Displaced Persons, including Yazidis, supported by the prospect of genuine community reconciliation. I raised this issue with the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office during my visit to Iraq in September 2017 and the Prime Minister did so with Prime Minister Abadi during her visit to Iraq on 29 November 2017. Ensuring that all Iraqis are able to return to their homes safely will be critical to post-conflict stabilisation efforts.