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Written Question
UNRWA: Finance
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what proportion of UK aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is spent on (a) food, (b) medicines, (c) other essentials, (d) salaries and (e) other costs for (i) UNRWA personnel and (ii) other employees.

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

UK funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was disbursed before the allegations that UNRWA employees were involved in the appalling 7 October terror attack against Israel came to light. No more British funding is due this financial year and we are pausing any future funding of UNRWA.

We provided £19 million of unearmarked funding this financial year to UNRWA's programme budget. This enabled UNRWA to deliver education, health, relief and social services and protection to 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. The UK also provided £16 million to UNRWA's Flash Appeal in response to the Gaza Crisis, supporting UNRWA to deliver humanitarian assistance, food, shelter, and non-food items for refugees in Gaza.

Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response.

Our commitment to trebling aid to Gaza still stands and we are supporting partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.


Written Question
UNRWA: Finance
Tuesday 6th February 2024

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the Oral Statement of the Minister of State of 29 January 2024, on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Official Report, columns 620-622, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the temporary pause in funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), announced on 27 January 2024, on Palestinian refugees in (a) Jordan, (b) Lebanon, (c) Syria, (d) East Jerusalem, (e) West Bank and (f) Gaza.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the those who desperately need it, and our decision to pause future funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response, whether in Gaza or the wider region. Our commitment to trebling aid to Gaza still stands, and we are getting on with aid delivery to the region through funding multiple implementing partners including other UN agencies and international and UK NGOs. This support is helping people get food, water, shelter and medicines. The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza. We will continue to support and have supported the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza. 750 tonnes of life-saving food aid arrived in the first delivery and 315 tonnes in the second delivery.


Written Question
Syria: Refugees
Monday 24th July 2023

Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consult the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on ways to prevent compulsory deportations of Syrians from Turkey and Lebanon.

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

We are in regular contact with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the full range of issues relating to Syrian refugees in not just Turkey and Lebanon, but also across the region. Whilst we hope that Syrian refugees will ultimately be able to return home, we agree with the UN judgement that conditions in Syria do not currently allow this. The UK continues to work with UNHCR to ensure that any returns adhere to international standards and are safe, voluntary and dignified.


Written Question
Gaza: Food Aid
Friday 21st July 2023

Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implication for his policies of a suspension of food assistance to families in Gaza by the World Food Programme; and if he will make a statement.

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

We continue to monitor the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza. The UK is a key donor to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), providing essential humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees across its five zones of operation. In financial year 2022/2023, the UK provided UNRWA with £18.7 million, including £13 million for UNRWA's Programme Budget for spend in Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), Jordan, Lebanon and Syria; as well as £2 million for an employment programme for Gazan women and £3.7 million for food assistance, both under UNRWA's OPTs Emergency Appeal. The UK is not currently a donor to the World Food Programme in Gaza, but recognises the critical role they play in supporting vulnerable families to have access to sufficient food.


Written Question
Migrants and Refugees: Resettlement
Tuesday 4th July 2023

Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the debate on the Integration of migrants and refugees at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 21 June 2023.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those that need it. Since 2015, over half a million people have been offered safe and legal routes into the UK. This includes those from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, as well as family members of refugees.

This Government is committed to ensuring that refugees arriving through safe and legal routes can take positive steps towards integration as they rebuild their lives in the UK.

All refugees and those granted protection in the UK have immediate access to the labour market and to mainstream benefits and services that support their integration. We are already working successfully with local authorities, strategic migration partners and community sponsors to implement measures that assist integration and enable self-sufficiency. The Home Office provides local authorities with funding to cover resettlement and integration costs for those who arrive through the UK Resettlement Scheme, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme or the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

We are further delivering on our commitment to strengthen support for refugees through our Refugee Transitions Outcomes Fund (RTOF) and Refugee Employability Programme (REP) helping them to move into work, learn English, access housing and build links in their local communities.

We monitor and evaluate our programmes of support, to better understand refugee needs and integration outcomes.


Written Question
Syria: Development Aid
Wednesday 28th June 2023

Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the UK was represented at the Seventh Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the region’ hosted by the EU on 14–15 June.

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

The UK's Special Representative for Syria, Ann Snow, represented the Government at the Brussels conference. We pledged up to £150 million to support Syria and the region, in addition to the £43 million we committed to support those affected by February's earthquakes. The UK is the third largest bilateral donor to the Syria crisis. The funding will enable around 65,000 Syrians per year to be less dependent on emergency aid through receiving livelihoods support, provide access to high-quality primary education in Northwest Syria and continue to support Syria's neighbours to deal with the impact of the conflict, helping mitigate the significant challenges they face and ensuring Syrian refugees are protected.


Written Question
Refugees: Resettlement
Friday 2nd June 2023

Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many referrals were made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to (1) the UK Resettlement Scheme, (2) Community Sponsorship, (3) the Mandate Resettlement Scheme, and (4) the Family Reunion Scheme, in each of the past three years; and how many referrals were not accepted in each of those schemes.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth

Between 2015 and March 2023, just over half a million people were offered safe and legal routes into the UK. This includes those from Hong Kong, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, as well as family members of refugees, alongside our global resettlement schemes. The UK continues to welcome refugees and people in need through existing resettlement schemes and is one of the largest recipients of UNHCR referred refugees globally, second only to Sweden in Europe since 2015.

Under these schemes, the UNHCR will refer refugees for resettlement after undertaking an assessment of people’s needs and vulnerabilities. The UK does not seek to influence which cases are referred by the UNHCR under these global schemes.

Family Reunion is not referral based. It is an application based route.


Written Question
Syria: Refugees
Thursday 1st June 2023

Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of Syrian refugees deported from Lebanon in the last year.

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

The UN and NGOs have reported an increase in operations by the Lebanese security forces to detain and deport Syrians in recent months. UNHCR have said that precise data is difficult to gather on exactly how many refugees are being deported from Lebanon. We agree with the UN's assessment that Syria is not safe for voluntary and dignified returns. We are engaging closely with partners and with the Government of Lebanon to emphasise the principle of non-refoulement, and that due process is followed to protect the rights of refugees.


Written Question
Iraq: Refugees
Wednesday 17th May 2023

Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number, and (2) the humanitarian situation, of refugees, including Yazidis, who remain in camps in (a) the autonomous region of north-east Syria, and (b) Kurdistan, following the defeat of ISIS; and what steps they are taking to expedite their return home.

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

The UK remains committed to the safety and security of refugees, including Yazidis in North-East Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Due to the shifting circumstances on the ground we are not in a position to make an accurate estimate of their number. When appropriate we raise the troubling humanitarian situation in refugee camps with the relevant authorities. Durable solutions must be pursued for displaced populations, including return, relocation, or local integration, where appropriate. We regularly raise this with the relevant authorities, the Iraq Government, UN bodies, international partners and our development programming in Iraq will support these efforts.


Written Question
Refugees: Housing
Tuesday 16th May 2023

Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to introduce a policy similar to Homes for Ukraine scheme for individuals from (a) Afghanistan, (b) Syria, (c) Sundan and (d) Ethiopa.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The UK continues to welcome refugees through existing resettlement schemes which are global in scope, including the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, the Mandate Resettlement Scheme and the Family Reunion Scheme. The UK has offered a place through these routes to just under 500,000 individuals since 2015.

Under these schemes, the UNHCR will refer refugees for resettlement after undertaking an assessment of people’s needs and vulnerabilities. The UK does not seek to influence which cases are referred by the UNHCR under these global schemes.

The Community Sponsorship Scheme is open to refugees of all nationalities under the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), or the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). As such, there are currently no plans to establish any new sponsorship schemes specifically for individuals from Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan or Ethiopia.