Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the Khartoum Process of the Sudanese Government closing its borders.

Following the removal of President Bashir by the Sudanese military on 11 April there was a brief closure of Sudanese borders. The broader political events in Sudan will likely have an impact on the capacity of the Sudanese authorities to engage in a number of fora and mechanisms, including the Khartoum Process, however it is not yet clear what this impact will be. Tackling the root causes of irregular migration, combatting organised immigration crime and addressing the devastating effects of trafficking is a key UK priority. As a former Chair, the UK remains committed to playing our full part in the Khartoum Process; we are on the Steering Committee; the Khartoum Process is one of many ways the UK engages with East African partners to address these shared threats. We continue to monitor the situation.