Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL6659):
Question by Lord ALTON of Liverpool
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that Hazara refugees in Pakistan have been denied legal refugee status by the government of Pakistan. (HL6659)
Tabled on: 21 March 2023
This question was grouped with the following question(s) for answer:
- Lord ALTON of Liverpool To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the situation of (a) Afghan refugees who lack identification documents, and (b) those from Hazara backgrounds, living in Pakistan, and (2) reports that those groups lack access to the services of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, including medical treatment, accommodation, education and documentation, especially in the city of Islamabad. (HL6658)
Tabled on: 21 March 2023
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
The UK is a member of Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees, a group established in 2019 to bring together regional governments, the United Nations and donors to support long-term solutions for Afghan refugees. We encourage Pakistan to include all refugees in services provided to the wider population. We regularly raise the mistreatment and exclusion of minority religious and ethnic groups with the Government at a senior level. The Foreign Secretary raised Afghanistan, including the relocation of eligible Afghans, when he spoke to Foreign Minister Bhutto-Zardari on 20 December 2022. The UK has provided £6.5 million to support refugee preparedness in Pakistan and offer vital health services and additional nutritional support to communities hosting refugees.
Date and time of answer: 04 Apr 2023 at 13:03.
