Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of facilitating visa applications by human rights defenders to allow them to travel more easily to the UK.

Human rights defenders wishing to travel to the UK are able to do so, provided that they comply with existing immigration rules, which in some cases will mean applying for a visa. However, there is no provision in the Immigration Rules to allow someone to travel to the UK for temporary protection, or to claim asylum. Those human rights defenders who may need to travel outside their home country in emergency situations are advised to go to the first country of safety they can reach, which is often a neighbouring country.