Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of human rights conditions in Eritrea; and how that assessment has influenced their policy on migrant returns to Eritrea.

We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Eritrea. There are serious shortcomings in the rule of law, reports of arbitrary detention, and limits on freedom of speech. While we acknowledge some limited progress made by the Eritrean government, including ratifying the Convention Against Torture in 2014 and the hosting of a visit by international human rights experts in January 2015, we continue to call on Eritrea to take concrete steps to implement the recommendations of the 2014 Universal Periodic Review and to fulfil its international obligations.

We have been clear with the Eritrean government that the poor human rights situation is a driver of irregular migration, and the UK is committed to working with Eritrea on the issue. As with any country, decisions on migrant returns are made on a case-by-case basis in light of our international obligations and taking into account the latest available country information from a range of reliable sources. We only enforce removal when we and the courts conclude that it is safe to do so, with a safe route of return.