Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the UK's potential ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We have no plans to ratify the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. The rights of migrant workers are already protected in UK legislation, including under the Human Rights Act 1998. The Human Rights Act 1998 protects people from torture or inferior or disgraceful treatment and it also protects all people from slavery and forced labour and the right to a fair trial.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the governments of (a) Belize, (b) Peru, (c) Paraguay and (d) any other country on potential bilateral agreements with the UK on migration.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our world-leading Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda will help break the business model of criminal people smuggling gangs and save lives. We are committed to working with a range of international partners to tackle the global migration crisis and are always in talks with a range of partners about how we can work together.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of BN(O) visa holders who are currently unable to access their Mandatory Provident Fund in Hong Kong.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware that individuals who have chosen to take up the British Nationals(Overseas) (BN(O)) route are having difficulties accessing their Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) from Hong Kong. The MPF system is regulated in Hong Kong and we have called on the Hong Kong authorities to work with trustees to find a solution and allow individuals to withdraw their funds. The government does not hold data on the number of private or foreign pensions, such as the MPF, held by British Nationals.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of Expressions of Interest in resettlement to the UK under pathway three of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, received by his Department prior to 15 August 2022, which were submitted by Afghan nationals who were (a) British Council contractors; (b) GardaWorld contractors and (c) Chevening alumni.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) Pathway 3, the FCDO received over 11,400 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) before the window to submit EOIs closed on 15 August 2022. We are in the process of assessing their eligibility and have started notifying individuals of the outcome. We are not yet in a position to provide numbers for each of the 3 cohorts who meet the eligibility criteria. In the first year, we will offer up to 1500 places to eligible at-risk British Council contractors, GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni, including their eligible family members.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Expressions of Interest in resettlement to the UK under pathway three of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme were submitted to his Department by Afghan nationals prior to 15 August 2022; and what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of such Expressions of Interest which were submitted by individuals who meet the current eligibility criteria for resettlement under that pathway.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) Pathway 3, the FCDO received over 11,400 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) before the window to submit EOIs closed on 15 August 2022. We are in the process of assessing their eligibility and have started notifying individuals of the outcome. We are not yet in a position to provide numbers for each of the 3 cohorts who meet the eligibility criteria. In the first year, we will offer up to 1500 places to eligible at-risk British Council contractors, GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni, including their eligible family members.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on that country's E1 settlement plan and its compliance with international law.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The UK welcomes the decision to postpone the discussion to advance the E1 settlement plan. We will monitor developments closely. The UK continues to urge the Government of Israel to permanently end its settlement expansion and settlement activity in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and advancement of the E1 settlement plan. The UK continues to raise our opposition to settlement advancements at the UN Security Council.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many applications for (a) new passports, (b) replacement passports and (c) emergency travel documents were received by UK embassies and consulates overseas in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021 and (iv) 2022 as of 18 July 2022.
Answered by Rehman Chishti
Passport issuing was repatriated to the UK in 2013. The application process was centralised with applicants submitting their passport applications to Her Majesty's Passport Office in the UK.
The FCDO issued the following numbers of Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) to British people overseas where their passports had been lost, stolen or were otherwise unavailable;
Year: Number of ETDs
2019 29332
2020 13144
2021 13469
2022 14223
(to 18/07/2022)
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK nationals were issued with (a) new passports, (b) replacement passports and (c) emergency travel documents by UK embassies and consulates overseas in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021 and (iv) 2022 to date.
Answered by Rehman Chishti
Passport issuing was repatriated to the UK in 2013. The application process was centralised with applicants submitting their passport applications to Her Majesty's Passport Office in the UK.
The FCDO issued the following numbers of Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) to British people overseas where their passports had been lost, stolen or were otherwise unavailable;
Year: Number of ETDs
2019 29332
2020 13144
2021 13469
2022 14223
(to 18/07/2022)
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Turkish Government on sending people seeking asylum in the UK from the UK to Turkey.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK is interested in working with multiple international partners to break the business model of people smuggling gangs and fix the broken asylum system. We continue to explore Third Country Asylum Partnerships with those countries that are interested.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to her Bangladeshi counterpart on allowing the former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia to travel abroad to access healthcare treatment.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Lord Ahmad, the Minister for South Asia, visited Bangladesh on 15 November to 17 November and met with the Government of Bangladesh, civil society actors and other key figures. During the visit, Lord Ahmad reiterated the UK's commitment to supporting human rights and democratic values.
We will continue to stress to the Government of Bangladesh, both in public and in private, the importance of respect for human rights and the rule of law. We expect those in detention, including Khaleda Zia, to be treated in accordance with Bangladesh's international commitments on human rights. We regularly engage with the Government of Bangladesh on the treatment of those in detention and on the integrity and independence of the judicial process.