Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his international counterparts on the treatment of the Hazara community in Afghanistan.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK works closely with the international community, including the G7, G20 and through the UN, to protect the human rights of all of Afghanistan's people and to coordinate a consistent international response. In December, the Minister for South Asia and Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised recent attacks on Hazaras with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the viability of members of the Chagossian community returning to the Chagos Islands.
Answered by David Rutley
We recognise this is an important issue for many Chagossians.
We are not in a position to provide detail on the content of ongoing negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago or speculate on possible outcomes.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
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 assessment of the potential merits of providing funding to Chagossian residents in Canterbury through the Chagossian Support Package projects.
Answered by David Rutley
The Government is committed to supporting Chagossians wherever they live and will consider proposals from any organisations interested in delivering projects for the benefit of Chagossians.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria his Department has used to determine the distribution of funds for the Chagossian Support Package projects.
Answered by David Rutley
The Chagossian Support Package funds projects that address the most pressing needs of Chagossians wherever they live. The government will consider proposals from any organisations interested in delivering projects for the benefit of Chagossians.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had recent discussions with members of the Chagossian community.
Answered by David Rutley
We regularly engage with different Chagossian groups on a range of issues.
The Government held an engagement event with Chagossian groups in February 2023 and plans to hold further events in the future.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
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 support the Hazara community in Afghanistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty
FCDO officials regularly press the Taliban to protect religious and ethnic minorities. We are working with international partners to ensure credible monitoring to hold those responsible for human rights abuses to account. On 7 October 2022, we co-sponsored a Human Rights Council resolution to extend the UN Special Rapporteur's mandate. His latest report to the Human Rights Council included an assessment of the situation for Hazara communities. We regularly engage with Hazara representatives who provide vital insight on the situation. Most recently, on 8 December 2022, the Minister for South Asia met representatives from Hazara community groups.