Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department provides to the government of Eritrea before the return of an individual, including information about criminal convictions, outstanding custodial sentences and the legal basis for removal.

The Government does not accept the assertions made by the Government of the State of Eritrea in response to the imposition of visa measures following its withdrawal of returns cooperation. A Home Office spokesperson has publicly refuted a number of inaccurate assertions made by the Eritrean Embassy.

The United Kingdom has made extensive efforts to engage with Eritrean counterparts and has repeatedly offered discussions through diplomatic channels. The UK's offer to engage constructively on returns cooperation with the Government of the State of Eritrea remains open.

The UK has processed visas and digital records of exemptions for Eritrean officials and Ministers where these have been requested, including since 2023. Broader information relating to visa applications and outcomes is published through the Immigration System Statistics.

The Home Office considers all claims admitted to the asylum system on their individual merits, taking account of all available evidence. Checks are routinely made against UK databases and in some instances, data is shared with other partner countries. Where there are specific reasons to doubt a claimant's nationality or place of origin, a range of further checks and investigative measures may be used. These matters are explored during the asylum interview through robust questioning, which will be tailored, where possible, to the person’s claimed background and particular place or origin. Language analysis may also assist in resolving questions of a person’s place of origin and therefore inform the asylum decision.

The Government takes abuse of the asylum system seriously. Where evidence indicates that an individual has sought to obtain an immigration advantage through deception, and they are not in need of international protection, the Home Office will consider enforcement action, including the revocation of any leave obtained through deception and removal from the UK where appropriate.

The Government of the State of Eritrea receives the same standard information in support of returns processes as the vast majority of international partners, consistent with UK law and operational requirements. The UK has made formal offers of engagement, including through official travel to Asmara in order to discuss any concerns regarding returns procedures and wider returns cooperation.