Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the plight of Rohingya refugees; and if he will make a statement.

​The Foreign Secretary wrote to Foreign Minister Momen on 22 January, when he re-emphasised the importance he places on the Government of Bangladesh's stated commitment to voluntary, safe and dignified return for the Rohingya to their homeland in Burma. He also emphasised the importance of planning for a longer term and more sustainable response to the Rohingya crisis. I wrote to my counterpart Shahriar Alam on 10 January to pass on the same messages.

We agree with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. The access in Burma required for independent monitoring by UN agencies is also not in place. We will continue to make representations to the governments of both Bangladesh and Burma not to commence returns while conditions in northern Rakhine remain as they are.

I welcome the great generosity Bangladesh has shown in providing refuge for Rohingya who have fled terrible violence in Burma's Rakhine State. The UK is one of the largest donors to the refugee crisis in Bangladesh, providing £129 million in funding since August 2017. We have led the international response, including using our role as pen holder at the UN Security Council.

We are committed to supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, and expect to remain a leading donor to the humanitarian Joint Response Plan. We are actively engaged in conversations with the international community to ensure that the future response meets the needs of the refugees.