Written question asked by Baroness Brown of Silvertown (Labour) on Tuesday, 24 September 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 September 2019. It was answered by Andrew Murrison (Conservative) on Wednesday, 2 October 2019 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Middle East: Yazidis

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) physical safety and (b) human rights of members of Yazidi communities from Iraq and Syria that have (i) returned and (ii) sought to return to their home areas.

Answer: British Embassy Baghdad made an assessment in May 2019 on the situation of Yazidis that were returning or seeking to return to their home areas. This was informed by a visit by the British Ambassador to Baghdad, Jon Wilks, to Yazidi areas of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and discussions with Yazidi leaders and IDPs. The principal Yazidi concerns as expressed to the Embassy were physical safety, including related to the behaviour of state security actors; justice for the victims of Daesh; and restoration of services, including reconstruction and psycho-social support. We continue to encourage and support progress on all these issues.

Secondary information