Mentions:
1: Anne McLaughlin (SNP - Glasgow North East) But all these years on, they are still at large, unlike the nearly 18,000 Tamils who went missing and - Speech Link
2: Elliot Colburn (Con - Carshalton and Wallington) As chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Tamils, may I ask my right hon. - Speech Link
3: Catherine West (Lab - Hornsey and Wood Green) Will the Minister outline what steps she is taking to support the Tamils’ calls for justice, including - Speech Link
Asked by: Uma Kumaran (Labour - Stratford and Bow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on a decision regarding the most vulnerable Tamil refugees and migrants in the British Indian Territory of Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working closely with relevant departments and BIOT Administration to respond to the health and welfare needs of all the migrants present in Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Lord Moylan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to transport Sri Lankan nationals from Diego Garcia to the UK and if so, how many persons, and when; what assessment they have made as to how many such persons were trafficked to Diego Garcia by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), an organisation proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, or its associates; what security risks may arise as a result of any links to the LTTE; and what consideration they have given to the possibility of returning them to Sri Lanka as a safe country.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is engaging in ongoing discussions with relevant departments regarding this issue. The BIOT is not a suitable long-term location for the migrants, which is why we are working to find a lasting solution. The BIOT Administration have put in place a process for considering claims for protection, which is thorough and comprehensive, but do not comment publicly on individual claims for protection. We are not aware of any involvement of LTTE in trafficking the migrants, and continue to cooperate with international partners to try and prevent criminal groups exploiting individuals and sending them on dangerous journeys across the sea.
Mentions:
1: Paul Scully (Con - Sutton and Cheam) For example, some 25 or 30 years ago, Tamils made their home in south-west London because of the civil - Speech Link
Found: Lead Member: Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Home Office) 5 December 2023 742 cc33 -57WH Sri Lankan Tamils
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the purported persecution of the Tamil population in northern Sri Lanka.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Sri Lanka is a UK human rights priority country. The UK has led, with the Core Group on Sri Lanka, international efforts to promote human rights for all communities, including through UNHRC resolution 51/1. We recommended addressing issues around the expropriation of land in the North and East during Sri Lanka's Universal Periodic Review. The UK encourages establishment of a meaningful Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Whilst visiting Sri Lanka from 10-13 October I raised issues over progress on human rights and accountability mechanisms with the government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). We welcome the GoSL commitment to address longstanding grievances of minority communities through the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
Mentions:
1: Alison Thewliss (SNP - Glasgow Central) Libya, Iran, Iraq, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cameroon, Tamils - Speech Link