Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the governments of Bangladesh and Burma regarding the need for consultation with, and agreement from, (1) the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and (2) displaced Rohingya people before commencing implementation of the recent agreement between those governments to repatriate refugee Rohingya people from Bangladesh to Burma.

The Rt Hon Mark Field MP, Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, has raised our concerns with the Bangladeshi and Burmese foreign ministers following their Governments’ announcement on the 30 October that the repatriation of over 2,000 refugees to Rakhine State would start in mid-November.

We have stated publicly that we agree with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. UNHCR continue to engage closely with the Rohingya community in Bangladesh to understand their views about returning to Rakhine.