Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential need for Mrs Asia Bibi and her family to apply for asylum should she be released from detention in Pakistan.

We remain concerned about the situation of all religious minorities in Pakistan. We urge Pakistan to uphold the rule of law and ensure the rights of all citizens are respected regardless of gender, ethnicity or religious belief.

Our obligations under the Refugee Convention do not extend to considering claims from people overseas who may want to seek asylum here. There is no provision in the Immigration Rules for someone to be given permission to travel to the UK to seek asylum.

The UK and European Union approach is that an individual should apply for protection from the authorities in the first available safe country or through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).