Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate she has made of the numbers of individuals being transported by or at the instigation of the Belarus regime to its borders to attempt to cross; and what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation of people who are stranded in those circumstances.

The Government condemns the erratic and irresponsible behaviour of Lukashenko's regime in Belarus. Belarus' exploitation of irregular migration to apply pressure on Poland and others in the region shows Lukashenko's complete lack of respect for international rules. We continue to stand with our allies who have been targeted by this provocative use of irregular migration, including by deploying troops from the Royal Engineers to support our Polish partners. We are supporting humanitarian partners to alleviate suffering at the border. Through our contributions to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, organised by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies we have ensured support gets to those who need it. While we have not done a full analysis of the numbers involved, we have seen a decrease in the number of migrants entering Belarus and note that many of those who were stranded at the border have now returned to their countries of origin.