The British Government’s actions to prevent conflict in Afghanistan and in the Middle East and North Africa include:

• Afghanistan: Continuing our close engagement with the Afghan government and our international partners to help bring about an inclusive and sustainable Afghan-led peace process as quickly as possible. We strongly support current US efforts to drive forward peace. The UK welcomed the conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council in April that set out a clear path for how the EU will support peace in Afghanistan. We also support the important contribution made by the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA). Prospects for peace are probably better now than at any time since 2001. However, after decades of war and the lack of trust on all sides, achieving a credible and sustainable peace process is challenging.

• Egypt: The UK plans to spend more than £50m from 2016 to 2020 to support Egypt’s continued stability, by providing economic opportunities for and protecting ordinary Egyptians, tackling radicalisation and safeguarding tourists and British nationals. The Home Office and Egyptian Ministry of Interior are committed to increasing cooperation across a wide range of areas, including counter-terrorism, illegal migration and organised crime.

• Iran: We are working with regional and international partners to call for restraint in order to de-escalate the situation. Yet we remain determined to preserve the Iran nuclear deal, and are working with E3 partners to achieve this. This deal remains in our shared interests as long as Iran meets its commitments under the deal in full. It is a key achievement of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture, which is in our shared security interests. We are deeply concerned at the heightened level of regional tension. Our priority remains de-escalation.

• Iraq: Providing support, together with the Coalition and international partners, to the Iraqi security sector in countering the ongoing threat from Daesh, and addressing the root causes of this threat. This involves addressing the underlying political, social and economic drivers which led to Daesh’s rise. We continue to support, alongside UN partners, the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) whose mandate renewal was unanimously approved on 21 May 2019. The UK held the pen on UNSCR 2379 which was unanimously adopted by the UNSC in 2017 and established the UN Investigative Team for the Accountability of Daesh (UNITAD). UNITAD will seek to ensure documentation and accountability for Daesh crimes and work with the Government of Iraq to support reconciliation efforts.

• Libya: We are engaging in intensive diplomacy, involving the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ghassan Salamé, and partners in the UN and EU. The UK is clear that all parties must commit to a ceasefire, ensure humanitarian access, and return to UN-mediated political talks. The EU28 issued a statement on 12 April 2019 condemning the violence, and urging all parties to resume political dialogue.

• Syria: Our diplomatic and programme efforts remain focused on bringing the conflict to an end through a UN-led negotiated political settlement. The UN-led Geneva process between the Syrian parties remains the forum to achieve this. We are also engaged in completing the enduring defeat of Daesh. As events unfold, we are keeping our approach under constant review.

As set out in the Immigration Rules, the permitted activities for visitors cover a broad range of tourist and business activities, which includes visiting academics and researchers. The Immigration Rules support this Government’s agendas and efforts, and ensures the UK is open for business.

All UK visa applications are considered on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence available and in line with UK Immigration Rules, regardless of the applicant’s nationality.

As set out in the Immigration Rules, the permitted activities for visitors cover a broad range of tourist and business activities. The Immigration Rules support this Government’s agendas and efforts, and ensures the UK is open for business.

All UK visa applications are considered on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence available and in line with UK Immigration Rules, regardless of the applicant’s nationality.

We strongly support the Iraqi government in its efforts to build a more inclusive society, including uniting Iraq’s communities against Daesh and extremism, restoring public trust in the state, and delivering the services and opportunities that all Iraqis want and deserve. We welcome the commitments that the Government of Iraq has made to inclusivity, to protecting Iraqi citizens, and addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account. We continue to promote progress against these commitments in our engagements with the Government of Iraq at both official and ministerial levels, emphasising the importance of political reconciliation to defeating Daesh and eradicating radicalism.

For the 2016/17 financial year we have allocated £3.7 million from the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund towards reconciliation in Iraq. This funding will support efforts to encourage political reform and reconciliation, including the passage and implementation of legislation. And following our announcement at the Iraq Pledging Conference on 20 July the UK is contributing £9.25m to the UN’s Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation. This will help the Iraqi government stabilise areas recently liberated from Daesh and re-establish security, basic services and inclusive local governance.

The UK is working with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the UN and international partners to ensure that all Coalition-supported military operations against Daesh in Iraq are under-pinned by comprehensive plans to minimise and manage expected displacement, and provide humanitarian assistance and stabilisation support. The Foreign Secretary, my Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), raised these issues with international partners at the counter-Daesh Coalition Ministerial meeting in Washington on 20-21 July.

On 20 July, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), announced £10.5 million in additional UK funding for stabilisation in Iraq, we expect a significant proportion of our contribution to support efforts in and around Mosul. This announcement brings the UK’s Iraq contributions on immediate stabilisation to £9.25 million, and on explosive hazards to £7.75 million.

Since summer 2014, the UK has pledged £129.5 million of humanitarian support. This includes £50 million of additional assistance announced on 20 July 2016.

The UN’s latest assessment is that over 3.3 million Iraqis have been internally displaced, with over 10 million people across Iraq requiring some form of humanitarian assistance. The UK is working with the Government of Iraq, Kurdistan Regional Government, United Nations, and non-governmental organisations to make sure that humanitarian support is provided to the most vulnerable, including internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Since summer 2014, the UK has pledged £129.5 million of humanitarian support for Iraq. This includes £50 million of additional assistance announced on 20 July 2016. Through our contribution, as the largest donor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, UK funding has helped a number of programmes supporting IDPs leaving Fallujah.

In response to the crisis in Iraq, since summer 2014 the UK has pledged £129.5 million of humanitarian support. This includes £50 million of additional assistance announced on 20 July 2016. To date, we have provided cash assistance, access to clean water, food, medicines and other life-saving assistance for the most vulnerable – irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity. This funding has supported the response in northern Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), as well as helping other vulnerable people across the country.

Given the importance of a coordinated response, we have provided £1 million of funding to UNDP to support the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Joint Crisis Centre (JCC), as well as its equivalent for the Government of Iraq, the Joint Crisis and Monitoring Centre (JCMC). In close collaboration with the JCMC, the United Nations, donors and non-governmental organisations, the JCC is leading humanitarian efforts in the Kurdistan Region.

The Government is deeply concerned about the crises in Syria and Iraq and the suffering and hardship they are causing for millions of people, particularly those who have endured appalling violence, persecution and abuse. We are committed to helping those in need and have so far provided £39.5 million to help the 2.2 million displaced Iraqis, many of whom were victims of ISIL’s persecution. These funds provide food, shelter, water and medical care to thousands of vulnerable families.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for the Government. The action we are taking includes providing funding to support the UN Population Fund in the coordination and information management of the international response to support victims of sexual and gender based violence. The UK has also specifically committed funding to help establish community outreach teams that are providing psychosocial support and referrals to appropriate services for survivors of sexual and gender based violence.

We will continue to be actively involved in the region and will closely monitor developments but we have no current plans to expand the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme, or implement a similar scheme specifically for Iraq.

The Government is aware of Amnesty International’s report and condemns all forms of sexual violence. However the Government does not consider that a policy of increasing the number of refugees resettled from the affected region is the most effective way to address the suffering of those displaced.

We believe we can make a greater impact and help more people through the provision of substantial humanitarian aid in the region and by working with the Iraqi government and international partners to find a solution to the conflict. The UK has committed £39.5 million to meet humanitarian needs in Iraq, including shelter, water, sanitation and medical care. Our aid is reaching displaced people across Iraq, including in the Kurdish region, where many Yazidis have fled to. We are also working with the Iraqi government and the international community to tackle the threat posed by ISIL and promote an inclusive, sovereign and democratic Iraq which will protect all Iraqi citizens.

The UK is ready to assist those from Iraq and other war-torn areas of the Middle East who come here in search of protection from violent persecution. We do so without discrimination, in accordance with the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Government believes that this approach is the best way to help Iraqi nationals who have left their countries, and we therefore have no current plans to implement or extend resettlement schemes.

The British Government continues to condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) against all communities throughout the areas under its control. We are working closely with the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan Regional government and our international coalition partners to assist and protect civilians wherever we can.

From 7-14 November, the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) conducted a joint scoping mission to Erbil and Baghdad with the Government of Canada. This aimed to better understand the scale of the issue and the services being provided in response to inform UK and Canadian policy and support. Through the Department for International Development we are already funding activities to protect vulnerable civilians such as legal assistance and support groups for women within internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps in the Kurdistan Region. We are continuing to explore what further support we might be able to provide to vulnerable groups and IDPs.

We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister al-Abadi has made to inclusivity, to protecting Iraqi citizens, addressing human rights abuses and holding those responsible to account.