Found: in this community are victims of coercive type of ‘modern-day slavery’ hidden under the cloak of religious

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of instances of persecution on the grounds of religion or belief in some Indian states; when they last raised this with the government of India, including the High Commission of India in London; and what response they have received from the government of India.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect and tolerance between different religious and non-religious communities, regardless of faith.

I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad] discussed human rights with the Government of India, leaders of faith groups and others during my visit to India in May 2023. FoRB was also among the issues discussed during my visit to India in February. Where we have issues, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level.

The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India, consistently monitor human rights in the country, regularly engage with civil society and religious representatives, and have run projects supporting human rights.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will take steps to help support Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in the context of the detention and sentencing of several members of that community on charges related to their religious beliefs and activities.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The UK has repeatedly condemned Russia's persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. The UK has raised its deep concerns in multilateral fora on several occasions, including at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), most recently on 2 May 2024, and at the UN Security Council. The UK will continue to call on the Russian Government to uphold its international commitments on the freedom of religion or belief and to end its persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will take steps to help tackle discrimination and persecution faced by Christians in the Gambia; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of discrimination and persecution face by Christians on religious freedom in the country.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. We do not judge there to be an infringement on the ability for Christians to live and practice in The Gambia at this time. In 2023, the British High Commission in Banjul supported a project funded by the Church of England which promoted religious tolerance by strengthening the linkages between the Gambian Parliamentary Caucus on Freedom of Religion or Belief and key civic organisations including the Christian community.

More broadly, the UK remains deeply concerned about the severity and scale of violations and abuses of FoRB in many parts of the world. Where FoRB is under attack, other human rights are often threatened too. The UK continues to recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside recognising the persecution of other groups.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made representations to his counterpart in Nicaragua on protecting (a) human rights and (b) religious freedoms (i) since the conviction of Bishop Rolando Álvarez and (ii) in the context of the treatment of Christians and Jews by President Daniel Ortega's regime.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We share widespread international concern about the suppression of human rights in Nicaragua. The UK has been increasingly vocal against the rising repression of the right to freedom of religion or belief for all, including Christian and Jews. Most recently, on 18 April, we released a statement marking the sixth anniversary of the brutally repressed protests in Nicaragua, highlighting continued UK concern at the ongoing situation. On 29 February, the UK also made a statement in response to the latest report by the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, in which we urged President Ortega to respect fully the human rights of all its citizens. In my [Minister Rutley's] tweet on 16 January, I welcomed the release of Bishop Álvarez and 18 other clergy from their unjust detention but condemned their expulsion from Nicaragua and the continued detention of other political and religious figures.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to schools on balancing inclusivity and religious freedoms.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

There is currently no legal requirement for schools to allow their pupils time within the school day to pray upon request, nor are they required to provide any pupil with a physical space, such as a prayer room, to conduct their prayers. It is a matter for individual schools and headteachers to make a decision that is in the interest of their pupils. It is important when considering any requests relating to prayer that they do so in the context of the Equality Act 2010, and their public sector equality duty.

Under the Equality Act 2010 schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act, including religion or belief. State-funded schools are also subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). All children and young people must be treated fairly and supported to thrive and reach their potential within a respectful environment.

The department has published guidance for schools on how to comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010, which can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools. This includes specific advice on religion or belief.

The PSED was introduced in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 and places a legal obligation on public authorities to consider how their policy or service decisions impacts differently on individuals. The department as a public body is required to give due regard to PSED in its decision making. According to the PSED, a public authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act.
• Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.
• Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. Protected characteristics include religion or belief.

Found: freedom, including violations such as torture, degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention

Found: freedom, including violations such as torture, degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention

Found: Freedom (USSD 2022 Religious Freedom report) noted: ‘While there are generally no concentrations

Found: Last accessed: 26 January 2022 ‘2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Rwanda’ , 12 May 2021