Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to help ensure that the rights of Eritrean refugees in the UK to protest against acts of the Eritrean Government are protected.

Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights state that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association. This Government fully supports these rights, including the right of individuals to protest peacefully.

There is a long tradition in this country of people being free to assemble and demonstrate their views, provided they do so within the law.

Therefore, should Eritrean refugees in the UK wish to protest against the Eritrean government they are well within their right to do so, as long as such protests are conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.

The management of demonstrations is an operational matter for the police. In certain circumstances, the police have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect those wishing to exercise their rights peacefully and to consider any potential risk to public safety.

Similarly, the management of community events, including decisions on their approval, is a matter for the relevant local authority.