Written question asked by Gary Streeter (Conservative) on Monday, 26 April 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 29 April 1999. It was answered by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour) on Thursday, 29 April 1999 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proposals she has evaluated for the movement of refugees from Macedonia to Albania. - Includes figures.

Answer: Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals she has evaluated for the movement of refugees from Macedonia to Albania. [82669] Mr. Foulkes: We have received no specific proposals for the movement of refugees from Macedonia to Albania. It is normal practice for refugees to be cared for in the first country in which they seek safety. Any movement to third countries should be entirely voluntary--we have made clear our concern to the Macedonian Government about the way in which people were initially dispatched to other countries, including Albania, without their consent. It must also take into account the hosting capacity of the receiving country--Albania has already received over 350,000 refugees from Kosovo, and facilities there are stretched.

Secondary information