To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Iraq on protecting freedom of religious belief for refugees in that country.
Answered on
6 March 2018
The UK is committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief across Iraq. We regularly urge the Government of Iraq, at both official and ministerial levels, to uphold those rights and do everything possible to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, including refugees from religious minority communities. The Prime Minister reinforced this message with Prime Minister Abadi during her visit to Iraq in November 2017 and our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate-General in Erbil do so regularly with Iraqi and Kurdish officials. We also urge humanitarian partners to ensure that the concerns of refugees, including those from religious minorities, are listened to and taken into account. During a recent visit to Iraq, the Department for International Development's Middle East and North Africa Director met several UN agencies and urged them to provide better data and reporting on their engagement with minorities.