Asked by: Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of the UK resuming in-country consular support in Afghanistan.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Our focus is on the immediate priorities of ensuring safe passage for anyone remaining in Afghanistan who is eligible to come to the UK and wishes to leave, supporting the thousands of new arrivals in the UK, and continuing to provide assistance to the Afghan people. Our Embassy to Afghanistan has temporarily relocated to Qatar, until it can be re-established in Afghanistan, to lead our diplomatic, security and humanitarian engagement remotely. The situation on the ground remains fluid and we will continue to review this posture. Our High Commission in Pakistan and Embassies in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Qatar, reinforced by Rapid Deployment Teams, are also providing consular support.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK passport holders and others with permission to travel to the UK have registered their interest in seeking to return to the UK following Taliban forces taking control of Kabul on 15 August 2021 with UK Embassies in (a) Pakistan, (b) Iran, (c) Tajikistan, (d) Turkmenistan and (e) Uzbekistan; and what support is being provided by consular staff to help those people to return to the UK.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The current situation is very fluid and numbers are changing all the time and so it is hard to give an exact figure on how many British nationals and other qualifying individuals are left in country. We have evacuated over 8,300 British nationals to date. Several hundred have left the country independently, since we advised UK nationals to leave on 6 August. Rapid Deployment Teams (RDT) have been sent to Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to reinforce our Embassy staff to process arrivals from Afghanistan, including British Nationals and the Afghans who supported us. An RDT also deployed to Dubai to help those in transit. We are working, in collaboration with the Home Office, to support their return to the UK through assistance on border movement, travel documentation and transport.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what dates from June 2021 he had discussions with his Uzbekistan counterpart about safe travel passage on onwards repatriation to the UK for Afghanistan nationals who qualify under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.
Answered by Nigel Adams
As set out in the Foreign Secretary's statement to Parliament on 6 September, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon visited Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from 1-3 September. The Foreign Secretary has since had a telephone conversation with the Uzbek Foreign Minister on 6 September. Lord Ahmad has additionally called the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan on 25 August and the Deputy Foreign Minister on 8 September and visited Uzbekistan on 9 September. These discussions were on securing safe passage for those fleeing Afghanistan and advancing the government's international priorities.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what meetings he has had with counterparts in countries neighboring Afghanistan on the needs of Afghan refugees in those countries and the support his Department could provide; and when those meetings took place.
Answered by Nigel Adams
As set out in the Foreign Secretary’s statement to Parliament on September 6th, he visited Qatar and Pakistan from 1-3 September and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon visited Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from 1-3 September. The Foreign Secretary has also had telephone conversations with the Uzbek Foreign Minister on 6 September, the Tajik Foreign Minister, on 2 September, and with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan on 27 August. Lord Ahmad has additionally called the Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, on 3 September, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan on 25 August and Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan on the same day. They held discussions with counterparts on securing safe passage for those fleeing Afghanistan and advancing the government’s international priorities.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list the international counterparts he has discussed the Taliban upsurge in Afghanistan with, including the dates and times of those discussions, during the period 12 to 16 August 2021.
Answered by Nigel Adams
As the Foreign Secretary made clear in Parliament on September 6th, Ministers and senior officials have undertaken sustained engagement with international partners throughout the crisis. Amongst a range of other activity, the Foreign Secretary visited Qatar and Pakistan from 1-3 September and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon visited Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from 1-3 September. The Foreign Secretary has also had telephone conversations with the Uzbek Foreign Minister on 6 September, the Tajik Foreign Minister, on 2 September, and with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan on 27 August. Lord Ahmad has additionally called the Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, on 3 September, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan on 25 August and Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan on the same day. They held discussions with counterparts on securing safe passage for those fleeing Afghanistan and advancing the government’s international priorities.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Kilburn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) recent estimate his Department has made of the number of British citizens currently in Afghanistan (b) steps he plans to take to provide those people with consular and other support upon the closure of the UK Embassy in Afghanistan.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We have worked tirelessly to safely evacuate the overwhelming majority of British Nationals and Afghans who worked for us. We have asked all British nationals who remain in Afghanistan to register their presence with us and are working to verify those who have responded. That process is ongoing. We continue to look at all possible avenues to ensure that any British Nationals are able to leave safely if they wish to. The situation is very fluid and numbers are changing all the time and so it is hard to give an exact figure on how many are left
Rapid Deployment Teams have been sent to Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to reinforce our Embassy staff to process arrivals from Afghanistan. Teams have also deployed to Qatar and UAE to assist our operations there and we are providing consular support to British nationals who were evacuated by other allies, including via US airbases in Europe
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what process she is establishing for evacuating from Afghanistan people who have Family Reunion Visas to join relatives with leave to remain in the UK.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We stand by our commitment to help all remaining British nationals, and those Afghans eligible to come to the UK to travel by whatever routes are available. We are clear that the Taliban must ensure safe passage for these people out of Afghanistan and any engagement with them will emphasise this first and foremost. We have been in frequent contact with neighbouring countries and Rapid Deployment Teams (RDT) have been sent to Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to reinforce our Embassy staff to process arrivals from Afghanistan. An RDT also deployed to Doha to help those in transit via Qatar. The Home Office are currently working to develop the eligibility criteria for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which will be announced in due course.Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last discussed the implications of UK troop withdrawal from Afghanistan with the Foreign Minister or other senior officials of (a) Pakistan, (b) Iran, (c) Tajikistan, (d) Turkmenistan and (e) Uzbekistan prior to Taliban forces taking control of Kabul on 15 August 2021.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with counterparts in the region. As set out in the Foreign Secretary’s statement to Parliament on September 6th, he visited Qatar and Pakistan from 1-3 September and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon visited Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from 1-3 September. The Foreign Secretary also had telephone conversations with the Uzbek Foreign Minister on 6 September, the Tajik Foreign Minister on 2 September, and with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan on 15 and 27 August. Lord Ahmad additionally called the Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, on 3 September, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan on 25 August and Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan on the same day. They held discussions with counterparts on securing safe passage for those fleeing Afghanistan and advancing the government’s international priorities.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what dates during the month of August 2021 he spoke to HM Ambassadors to Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Answered by Nigel Adams
As set out in the Foreign Secretary's statement to Parliament on September 6th, he visited Qatar and Pakistan from 1-3 September and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon visited Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from 1-3 September. The Foreign Secretary has also had telephone conversations with the Uzbek Foreign Minister on 6 September, the Tajik Foreign Minister, on 2 September, and with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan on 27 August. Lord Ahmad has additionally called the Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, on 3 September, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan on 25 August and Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan on the same day. They held discussions with counterparts on securing safe passage for those fleeing Afghanistan and advancing the government's international priorities. Throughout this crisis the Foreign Secretary had received advice that draws on a range of inputs from HM Ambassadors to Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Government's announcement on refugee support funding for countries neighbouring Afghanistan, published on 3 September 2021, how much and what proportion of the £30 million of announced funding will be provided to (a) Pakistan, (b) Tajikistan, (c) Uzbekistan, (d) Iran and (e) Turkmenistan.
Answered by Nigel Adams
On 3 September FCDO announced £30 million additional humanitarian funding to assist the regional response to the surge in refugees. £10 million was immediately made available to humanitarian partners, such as the UNHCR, to enable essential supplies such as shelters, sanitation and hygiene facilities to be erected at the Afghanistan border. The remaining £20 million of funding is flexible to allow for rapid scale up of the response to hosting communities in affected countries if a mass movement of population takes place.