Asked by: Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk to Palestinian refugees caused by efforts to abolish UNRWA.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise the essential and pivotal role that UNRWA plays in providing health and education services and humanitarian relief to Palestinian refugees. The United Nation's General Assembly voted on 12 December 2022 to extend UNWRA's mandate until 30 June 2026.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of refugees that will be deported to Rwanda (a) on the first flight and (b) in each of the 12 months following the first flight.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
This is operationally sensitive information.
We have been clear that the scheme is uncapped.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2024 to Question 22008 on Refugees: Afghanistan, what his planned timetable is for establishing a route for separated families to be reunited.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
In October we committed to establishing a route for those evacuated from Afghanistan under Pathway 1 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme without their immediate family members to reunite them in the UK. We remain on track to meet that commitment in the first half of this year. Further details and guidance will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research by Fortify Rights, published on 26 April, that found Border Guard Bangladesh responsible for the assault and forced returns of Rohingya Refugees.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is committed to supporting the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and working to address protection risks. We regularly discuss our concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the camps with the Government of Bangladesh and often engage with the UN and NGOs. UK humanitarian funding of over £391 million since 2017 includes ongoing support to protection services. We are aware of the Fortify Rights report published on 26 April. We have raised our concerns with the Government of Bangladesh about the reported refoulement incidents on 25 April of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and continue to monitor the situation closely.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh regarding reports of officials involved in beatings and forced returns of Rohingya refugees.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is committed to supporting the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and working to address protection risks. We regularly discuss our concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the camps with the Government of Bangladesh and often engage with the UN and NGOs. UK humanitarian funding of over £391 million since 2017 includes ongoing support to protection services. We are aware of the Fortify Rights report published on 26 April. We have raised our concerns with the Government of Bangladesh about the reported refoulement incidents on 25 April of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and continue to monitor the situation closely.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Independent Review Group on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 22 April; what are the implications of the report for future UK policy towards the agency; and whether they will resume funding UNRWA.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.
The UK recognises that UNRWA is critical to aid delivery in Gaza. The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will set out its position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations.
We remain absolutely committed to getting humanitarian aid to people in Gaza who desperately need it, including through other UN agencies and British charities.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), following the publication of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality on 22 April.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.
The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will set out its position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations. We recognise the pivotal role the UNRWA play in support of Palestinians in Gaza and neighbouring countries.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will take steps with international partners to (a) press Pakistan to stop deportation of Afghan people and (b) develop a longer-term strategy on the situation in Afghanistan.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is closely monitoring Pakistan's policy on the deportation of Afghans and ministers have raised it most recently with Pakistan's Minister of Human Rights and Deputy Prime Minister. We are working with a number of international partners, including the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the World Bank to ensure Pakistan adheres to its international human rights obligations with respect to those affected. Since September 2023, we have committed £18.5m to the IOM to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable returnees in Afghanistan. We are also grateful for Pakistan's continued co-operation over our Afghan resettlement schemes.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what support his Department is providing to the Rohingya in (a) Myanmar and (b) refugees camps in Bangladesh.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a leading donor to the Rohingya response. We have provided over £45 million in humanitarian assistance in Myanmar and £391 million in Bangladesh to the Rohingya since 2017. We are the largest donor of water, hygiene, and sanitation facilities in the Internally Displaced Persons camps in central Rakhine State. Despite escalating conflict and ongoing access challenges, we are supporting those most in need through agile local partners. Minister Trevelyan announced a further £12 million and discussed education, training, and employment for the Rohingya with Prime Minister Hasina during her recent visit to Bangladesh on 7-8 May.
Asked by: Baroness Goudie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to remarks by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 24 May 2023 (HL Deb col 870), when the initial £5 million, including £2 million in South Sudan, to meet the urgent needs of refugees and returnees who were fleeing the violence in Sudan was released; and on what it has been spent.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 4 May 2023, the UK Government announced an initial £5 million allocation to support those fleeing the conflict in Sudan. In Chad, this included £1.75 million for the World Food Programme on food and logistics ahead of the rainy season and £1 million to the Sahel Regional Fund to support urgent protection and assistance by NGOs. In South Sudan, this included £1.5 million to the World Food Programme for use in border areas, £500,000 to UNICEF for Sexual and Gender Based Violence protection services and £250,000 to REACH towards initiatives to improve analysis about evolving needs to support wider humanitarian action. In total, since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, the UK has allocated £15 million to support those fleeing to Chad, and £7.75 million to support existing and new Sudanese refugees as well as vulnerable returnees and host communities in South Sudan.