Written question asked by Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party) on Friday, 26 April 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 May 2019 (named day). It was answered by Mark Field (Conservative) on Wednesday, 1 May 2019 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Lebanon: Refugees

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Lebanese counterpart on the status of Syrian refugees living in Lebanon since May 2015 when the UN Human Rights Commission suspended registration of those refugees.

Answer: ââLebanon's refugee crisis has been raised with the Lebanese Government by the UK Prime Minister, Department for International Development and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office; most recently in March by former Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt. Lebanon has shown enormous generosity in hosting an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees. The UK is supporting Lebanon to meet the humanitarian needs of both refugees and vulnerable Lebanese communities. We support the UN judgement that conditions in Syria are not yet conducive for return. Syrian authorities bear responsibility for improving conditions for return, including providing verifiable assurances on security, safety, and respect for international law. The UK remains clear that any refugee returns to Syria must take place voluntarily, in safety and dignity, in line with international humanitarian law and when conditions allow.

Secondary information