Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) expediting visa applications and (b) reconsidering applications for asylum for Ethiopian nationals in response to the political and security situation in that country.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Visa services in Ethiopia are currently available as usual and visa application centres remain open to accept applications. Individual applications raised which include a compassionate or compelling element will be considered on a case by case basis and may be expedited.
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it, in accordance with our international obligations. While we do not allow asylum claims from abroad, all asylum claims lodged from within the UK are given full and careful consideration and in line with published policy.
Asylum claims by Ethiopian nationals are considered in the same way as claims from any other nationality. We do not believe it is appropriate to prioritise claims from one nationality over another as many claimants, irrespective of nationality, are potentially vulnerable and no one is expected to leave the UK while they have a claim outstanding.