Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to expand the terms of reference of the UK Resettlement Scheme; whether the Scheme is available to (1) British nationals, and (2) the children of British nationals, in detention camps in North-East Syria; and if so, what plans they have to communicate this to such individuals.

The UK is a global leader in resettlement. Since 2015, we have resettled more than 27,000 refugees through safe and legal routes direct from regions of conflict and instability - around half of whom were children.

There are currently no plans to expand the terms of reference of the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS). The UK will continue to work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to receive referrals of vulnerable refugees from across the globe.

Our approach is to resettle refugees in line with the global need identified by UNHCR who will refer individuals in accordance with their standard resettlement categories and policies, based on an assessment of protection needs and vulnerabilities.

British nationals or their dependants would not be referred for resettlement under the UKRS. However, the government does seek to facilitate the return of British orphans and unaccompanied minors from North-East Syria where feasible, subject to national security concerns, and on a case-by-case basis. In line with this policy, the government has already facilitated the return of several orphaned and unaccompanied British children to the UK and will continue to do so.