Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that Syrian refugees currently residing in Turkey are not repatriated to Syria against their will.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
We have been clear in our public statements and in our engagement with Turkey and Syria's other neighbours, that any return of refugees to Syria must be voluntary and in line with international law. We do not support forced returns and would not support returns to areas that have not yet been declared safe by the UN.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The UK is committed to highlighting the appalling violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria and to seeing those responsible for the most serious crimes held to account in the most appropriate jurisdiction. We continue to support the UN Commission of Inquiry's investigations into human rights violations and abuses in Syria and the work of the UN International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) which is gathering evidence for the prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law in Syria. The UK has contributed over £9 million since 2012 in support of Syrian and international efforts to gather evidence and assist victims of human rights abuses and violations, including £950,000 to the IIIM.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps the Government is taking to improve human rights in Uganda.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
The UK firmly believes that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. We promote universal human rights as part of our Commonwealth engagement. Where we have specific concerns, we raise them directly as part of our ongoing dialogue with the Ugandan Government. Our High Commission, alongside other missions in Kampala, has released statements calling on the Ugandan Government to guarantee freedoms enshrined in the Ugandan Constitution. In Uganda, UK Aid funds human rights training for police and the prisons service. We will continue to support civil society groups in Uganda working to improve protection of minority rights.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Greek counterpart on that Governments policy to contain people on Greek islands in the Aegean sea following reports of (a) inhumane living conditions, (b) generalised insecurity and (c) inadequate provision of essential healthcare and mental healthcare services for children and unaccompanied minors on those islands.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
New migrant arrivals on the Greek islands are accommodated in Reception and Identification Centres ("hotspots") while they are processed in line with the 2016 EU/Turkey statement. Due to high numbers of arrivals, some of the hotspots are operating well beyond capacity and conditions for many migrants are poor. The United Kingdom continues to raise concerns about conditions on the islands in discussions with the Greek Government.
As part of its efforts to ease congestion on the islands, the Greek Government is transferring the most vulnerable migrants to accommodation on the Greek mainland. As part of our support for the EU/Turkey statement, the United Kingdom is providing interpreters to support migrants in the hotspots, including to help identify the most vulnerable. We are also funding a shelter for the most vulnerable unaccompanied children on Samos.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has had made to his Ugandan counterpart on the proposed legislation in that country to impose the death penalty as a punishment for gay sex.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson
On 11 October a spokesperson from the Ugandan Government confirmed they do not intend to introduce new anti-homosexuality laws and we continue to follow closely any developments related to the death penalty. The British Government is fundamentally opposed to all forms of discrimination and works to uphold the rights and freedoms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people in all circumstances. We make regular representation to governments around the world on this issue. The UK also works with international partners and in multilateral fora including the UN, EU and the Commonwealth to promote tolerance and non-discrimination towards LGBT people globally, and to address discriminatory laws.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of essential healthcare and mental healthcare for unaccompanied minors in Greece.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Greek Government is responsible for supporting migrants on arrival in Greece, including healthcare for unaccompanied minors. The EU has allocated over €2 billion since 2015 to support Greek handling of migration and border management. The United Kingdom is also providing bilateral support. This includes, in 2019, funding a shelter for the most vulnerable unaccompanied children who arrive in Samos. In addition, under Section 67 of the 2016 Immigration Act (the "Dubs Amendment") the United Kingdom is accepting the transfer of some of the most vulnerable unaccompanied children from Greece.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 September 2019 to Question 290584, whether the Saudi Government reported the RSLF helicopter crash of 14 September 2018 in Al-Mahra province in Yemen to his Department.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The British Government hold no official record of the incident in question.