Written question asked by John Glen (Conservative) on Monday, 18 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. It was answered by Hamish Falconer (Labour) on Thursday, 21 May 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Iraq: Religion

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Iraq on adults from religious minority communities in Iraq being assigned a religious status on civil status documents that does not reflect their chosen religion or belief.

Answer: The UK is firmly committed to protecting ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). It is against Iraqi law for adults, including those from religious minority communities, to be assigned a religious status that does not reflect their chosen religion or belief. Through our diplomatic presence, the UK regularly monitors and raises these issues with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government and engages actively with civil society organisations. The UK recognises Iraq as a FoRB priority country, and this is reflected throughout our programme work in Iraq.

Secondary information