Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to raise concerns about the treatment of (a) Christians and (b) other religious minorities in Mali at the United Nations.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns attacks on religious minorities in Mali. We have consistently called on all actors in Mali to respect human rights and adhere to international human rights law. For example, at the April 2025 Security Council briefing on the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, the UK expressed concern at the human rights abuses committed in the Sahel and called on the UN to lead the way in emphasising the importance of international humanitarian law. Through the Magna Carta Fund, the UK has also promoted ancient Malian texts enshrining progressive values such as religious tolerance. This has helped to underline that such values have local roots and undermine the notion that human rights are a Western import.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his Nigerian counterpart on the accountability of militant groups targeting Christian communities in (a) Benue and (b) Plateau States.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt and we express our sincere concern for all those impacted. The root causes of intercommunal violence are complex and often linked to land disputes, historical tensions, and criminal activity. While religion is not a causal factor in these conflicts, the impacts are felt acutely by religious communities, including hindering people's ability to practice their faith freely. The UK supports all affected communities, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and is working through programmes like Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria and the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership to promote peace, strengthen local institutions, and protect civilians. The UK remains committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Nigeria, a priority country under the new FoRB strategy, and we will continue to raise this issue in our engagements with Nigeria.
During his visit to Nigeria on 28-30 May, the Minister for Africa met ministers and officials to address insecurity and intercommunal violence, with a focus on tackling root causes. Most recently, he raised FoRB with Nigerian counterparts during the third UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue on 15-16 July in London.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 implications for his policies of the adequacy of the steps take by the Nigerian government to (a) protect religious minorities and (b) prevent attacks by Fulani Islamist militias.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt and we express our sincere concern for all those impacted. The root causes of intercommunal violence are complex and often linked to land disputes, historical tensions, and criminal activity. While religion is not a causal factor in these conflicts, the impacts are felt acutely by religious communities, including hindering people's ability to practice their faith freely. The UK supports all affected communities, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and is working through programmes like Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria and the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership to promote peace, strengthen local institutions, and protect civilians. The UK remains committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Nigeria, a priority country under the new FoRB strategy, and we will continue to raise this issue in our engagements with Nigeria.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has considered implementing (a) sanctions and (b) conditionality on development aid to Nigeria in the context of attacks on (i) Christians and (ii) other religious minorities in the Middle Belt region.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt and we express our sincere concern for all those impacted. The root causes of intercommunal violence are complex and often linked to land disputes, historical tensions, and criminal activity. While religion is not a causal factor in these conflicts, the impacts are felt acutely by religious communities, including hindering people's ability to practice their faith freely. The UK supports all affected communities, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and is working through programmes like Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria and the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership to promote peace, strengthen local institutions, and protect civilians. The UK remains committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Nigeria a priority country under the new FoRB strategy, and we will continue to raise this issue in our engagements with Nigeria.
We do not publicly speculate on future sanctions as doing so can limit their impact. The UK has a modern development partnership with Nigeria across the full spectrum of development needs. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not provide bilateral Official Development Assistance directly to the Government of Nigeria.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to raise concerns about the treatment of (a) Christians and (b) other religious minorities in Somalia at the United Nations.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the treatment of Christians and other religious minorities in Somalia, where persecution is severe and often exacerbated by insecurity and extremist violence.
The UK has supported human rights mechanisms that address religious persecution. We continue to highlight Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) violations and abuses on the international stage, through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB.
The UK is committed to defending FoRB globally and will continue to advocate for the rights of all individuals in Somalia to practise their religion or belief freely and without fear.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 humanitarian situation of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, in the context of the number of Christians who were killed in Islamist attacks in April 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt and we express our sincere concern for all those impacted. The root causes of intercommunal violence are complex and often linked to land disputes, historical tensions, and criminal activity. While religion is not a causal factor in these conflicts, the impacts are felt acutely by religious communities, including hindering people's ability to practice their faith freely. The UK supports all affected communities, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and is working through programmes like Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria and the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership to promote peace, strengthen local institutions, and protect civilians. The UK remains committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Nigeria, a priority country under the new FoRB strategy, and we will continue to raise this issue in our engagements with Nigeria.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many official visits were made by foreign diplomats to Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not routinely monitor the travel of foreign diplomats based in the UK within the country. They are able to meet a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, without the need for permission from the Government. This principle - that diplomats be allowed to undertake engagement without approval of the host State government - is consistent with how we expect our own diplomats working overseas to be able to operate.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 (a) places of worship and (b) religious sites (i) damaged and (ii) destroyed in Ukraine since February 2022; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of contributing to international efforts to (A) restore and (B) protect those sites.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), and the damage done to places of worship and religious significance. As of April 2025, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has verified damage to 149 religious sites. The UK remains committed to the protection of cultural heritage sites jeopardised by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's reconstruction, starting with early recovery measures, remains a key priority. We have committed up to £283 million in bilateral assistance for 2025/2026 to fund humanitarian, energy, stabilisation, recovery and reconstruction programmes. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) International Cultural Heritage Protection (ICHP) Programme continues to fund protection of cultural heritage. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, DCMS's ICHP has supported Ukraine funded NGO 'Blue Shield' to carry out war-crime investigations, capacity building programmes for the Office of the Prosecutor General and funding the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Heritage Crime Task Force in Ukraine.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 implications for his policies of reports about the treatment of (a) non-Orthodox and (b) minority faith groups in Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Orthodox Church of Ukraine clergy, Crimean Tatars, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Protestant Churches suffer repression and physical abuse, including the prohibition of religious literature and arbitrary arrests and detentions. Religious figures are reportedly subjected to torture. Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned altogether. The UK condemns Russia's attempt to destroy Ukraine's religious and belief communities. We engage regularly with Ukrainian religious groups on this issue. In February, a delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches met Parliamentarians and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials to discuss religious persecutions. I was personally appalled to hear and see evidence of Russian actions against the religious communities in Bucha during their earlier occupation when I visited earlier this year and met with local civic and religious leaders.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 merits of imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions on people responsible for religious persecution in (a) Iran, (b) Eritrea and (c) Pakistan.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's Global Human Rights sanctions regime can be used to impose sanctions for serious human rights violations or abuses, including; i) an individual's right to life; ii) right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; and iii) right to be free from slavery, not to be held in servitude or required to perform forced or compulsory labour. Sanctions complement other tools as part of a wider strategy. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future designations as to do so could reduce their impact.