Written question asked by Jessica Morden (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 June 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 June 2023 (named day). It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Monday, 19 June 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Sudan: Refugees

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of (a) how many people were trafficked to Libya while fleeing Sudan and (b) how many such people were awaiting a visa decision on resettlement to the UK.

Answer: As of 14 June, over 500,000 people are estimated to have fled Sudan to neighbouring countries since fighting broke out, with an estimated 1,318 having fled to Libya. This UN figure relates to the number of people who have crossed neighbouring borders, rather than those who have been trafficked. In total, there were 9,812 UK visa applications from Sudanese Nationals between March 2022/23. The Home Office are monitoring the situation in Sudan closely to ensure that we are able to respond appropriately. The UK's current resettlement schemes allow us to support the most vulnerable refugees direct from regions of conflict and instability.

Secondary information