Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the issues of (a) violence and (b) persecution of Muslims in India.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all and promoting respect and tolerance between different religious and non-religious communities. We condemn any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. We engage with India on a range of human rights matters and where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, also regularly speaks to the High Commissioner of India, and human rights including freedom of religion or belief forms part of that dialogue.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions will continue to follow reports of violence and discrimination closely, while recognising that these are matters for India. It is for the Indian Government to address the concerns of all Indian citizens, regardless of faith. Our network of High Commissions across India also regularly meet religious representatives and have run projects supporting minority rights.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) re-open the British Embassy in Warsaw to tackle the needs of people connected with the war in Ukraine and (b) ensure a full and active consular service for British citizens seeking support in the region surrounding Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The British Embassy Warsaw continues to offer a full range of consular services. We have also established a temporary consular presence in Przemyśl, which can provide initial consular assistance for those arriving in Southern Poland from Ukraine. British nationals requiring consular assistance in Poland should call +48 22 311 0000. Phones are answered 24/7.
FCDO Rapid Deployment Teams have also been deployed to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to support British nationals in need of consular assistance. A range of assistance is available in these countries and we have specially trained consular staff at the borders to help British nationals.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made for the implications of her policy of the latest report by Amnesty International on the seizures of Palestinian land and property, unlawful killings, forcible transfer, drastic movement restrictions, administrative detention and the denial of nationality and citizenship to Palestinians.
Answered by Amanda Milling
We do not agree with the use of this terminology. Any judgment on whether serious crimes under international law have occurred is a matter for judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. As a friend of Israel, we have a regular dialogue on human rights. This includes encouraging the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and do all it can to uphold the values of equality for all. Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is a human rights priority for the FCDO.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Amnesty International citing human rights abuses against Palestinian civilians, published 1 February 2022, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure international law is upheld in the Middle East.
Answered by Amanda Milling
We do not agree with the use of this terminology. Any judgment on whether serious crimes under international law have occurred is a matter for judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. As a friend of Israel, we have a regular dialogue on human rights. This includes encouraging the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and do all it can to uphold the values of equality for all. Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is a human rights priority for the FCDO.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her Department has made to her Iranian counterpart on the continued detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe since her husband's hunger strike.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Foreign Secretary recently discussed the cases of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad Tahbaz with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on 8 November. I raised their cases with my Iranian counterpart Deputy Foreign Minister, Bagheri Kani when he visited the FCDO on 11 November. Our Ambassador in Tehran also continues to regularly raise these cases with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
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 foreign counterparts to prevent the abuse of the human rights of Christians living overseas.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
In line with the Government's commitment, work continues to implement the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro's review into what more the then Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) could do to address the persecution of Christians in a way that will bring real improvements in the lives of those persecuted because of their faith or belief.
We also work with the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, G7 and other multilateral fora to promote FoRB. Lord Ahmad hosted a successful Arria meeting in the margins of the Security Council in March 2021, raising awareness on persecution of religious minorities in conflict.
The UK will host an international Ministerial conference on FoRB in 2022 to energise collective efforts on this agenda, demonstrating our enduring commitment to promoting FoRB for all.