Skip to main content

Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench) on Friday, 11 March 2016, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 29 March 2016. It was answered by Lord Bates (Conservative) on Wednesday, 16 March 2016 on behalf of the Home Office.


Refugees: Aegean Sea

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Prime Minister, on 7 March in Brussels, described those fleeing across the Aegean Sea as illegally crossing, in the light of the fact that Turkey is not a party to the UN Convention on Refugees, which Greece and other EU member states are.

Answer

Migrants travelling across the Aegean Sea may be referred to as illegally crossing if they have no permission (such as a visa) to enter Greece or another Member State. The same would apply if someone applied for asylum in the UK: if they have entered the UK illegally, then they would be treated as an illegal entrant, irrespective of whether they make a claim for asylum or not.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL6936
Session
2015-16
Subjects
Undocumented migrants Refugees Refugee Convention Turkey Aegean Sea
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk