Eritrea: Refugees

(asked on 22nd February 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports (1) that refugee camps in Tigray have been destroyed, (2) that Eritrean refugees are missing as a result, and (3) that Eritrean refugees have been forcibly repatriated to Eritrea.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 9th March 2021

The UK condemns the destruction of the Hitsats and Shimbella refugee camps in Tigray and calls for urgent assistance to those refugees displaced as a result. We are also concerned at reports that Eritrean troops entered Ethiopian refugee camps in Tigray and forced a number of refugees to return to Eritrea. If proven, this would be a serious violation of the 1951 Refugee Convention. Alleged violations of international law must be investigated as a means to promote respect for legal instruments and to prevent future violations, including as necessary through international criminal tribunals.

The British Ambassador in Eritrea raised these questions with the Eritrean Foreign Minister in December 2020, who denied that Eritrean forces had forcibly returned Eritrean refugees to Eritrea. We are extremely concerned that humanitarian agencies, including the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), do not have access to refugee camps in Tigray, meaning our understanding of the humanitarian and protection context in camps and refugee hosting areas is limited. It is the responsibility of the host state to ensure refugees are protected and are not subjected to forcible return. This was acknowledged by the Government of Ethiopia when we raised the matter.

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