Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on providing refuge and asylum to the Sikh and Hindu communities from Afghanistan.

We have a proud history of providing protection for those who need it, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention. All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits and where someone establishes a well-founded fear of persecution or serious harm in their country they are normally granted protection and are not expected to return there.

However, there is no provision in the Immigration Rules for people to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum. Those who need international protection should claim in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.

Our resettlement schemes offer a safe and legal route to the UK for the most vulnerable refugees. Membership of a minority religion or group is not in itself one of the vulnerability criteria used to assess eligibility for resettlement but members of minority religions or groups may qualify under the established criteria.

Our assessment of the situation for Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan is set out in the relevant country policy and information note, which is available on the Gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-country-policy-and-information-notes.