Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what documents set out current arrangements with the government of Cyprus regarding responsibility for refugees and asylum seekers arriving at the UK Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus; and how much has been paid as a result of such arrangements.

The Refugee Convention places no obligation on the UK to consider asylum claims made outside its immediate territory. Since 2003, under a Memorandum of Understanding agreed with the Republic of Cyprus, anyone seeking asylum will have their claim processed by the Cypriot authorities on behalf of the The Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus (SBA). The SBA is responsible for payment of any associated costs.