Written question asked by Lord Corbett of Castle Vale (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative) on Monday, 27 September 2010.

Iraq: Camp Ashraf

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent representations they have made to the Government of Iraq about it not granting visas to relatives and friends to visit refugee members of the Iranian resistance at Camp Ashraf; and what was the response.

Answer: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials in Baghdad visited Camp Ashraf on 24 July 2010 to clarify whether any of the residents qualified for UK consular assistance. During their visit they met with the Iraqi army, which confirmed that food and medical supplies were permitted to enter the camp. Our ambassador in Baghdad met with the Iraqi Human Rights Minister on 20 May 2010 and underlined the need for the Iraqi authorities to deal with the residents in a way that meets international humanitarian standards. The Iraqi authorities have told the residents that they can no longer stay at Camp Ashraf but have given assurances that no residents will be forcibly transferred to a country where they have reason to fear persecution, or where substantial grounds exist to believe they would be tortured. We continue to discuss Camp Ashraf with the Iraqi Government, the EU, the US and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). In July 2010, FCO officials in Baghdad received a report from the Iraqi Human Rights Ministry into events that took place at the camp in July 2009. We are discussing the contents with interested partners. We will write to the noble Lord with further details. We have not received any information about the Government of Iraq denying visas to relatives and friends of the residents.

Secondary information