The Government has long-standing policies to neither confirm nor deny (NCND) the existence of an INTERPOL Red Notice or Diffusion against named individuals, and to not comment on an individual’s immigration or asylum status. This is to support the functioning of both our judicial processes, and to ensure the protection of those with asylum status in the UK. These policies are also applied by the National Crime Agency, which hosts the UK’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau.

The Government takes seriously any attempt to misuse INTERPOL systems. We continue to work closely with INTERPOL to ensure that it’s Constitution is upheld and those with refugee status are rightfully given the protections afforded by their asylum status.

The Government has long-standing policies to neither confirm nor deny (NCND) the existence of an INTERPOL Red Notice or Diffusion against named individuals, and to not comment on an individual’s immigration or asylum status. This is to support the functioning of both our judicial processes, and to ensure the protection of those with asylum status in the UK. These policies are also applied by the National Crime Agency, which hosts the UK’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau.

The Government takes seriously any attempt to misuse INTERPOL systems. We continue to work closely with INTERPOL to ensure that it’s Constitution is upheld and those with refugee status are rightfully given the protections afforded by their asylum status.

Any misuse of INTERPOL tools, including Red Notices, is taken very seriously by this Government.

The UK continues to support INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place to protect individuals’ rights and uphold Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which forbids the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character, as well as Article 2 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which ensures and promotes the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

INTERPOL’s safeguards operate at two stages: pre-publication via the Notices and Diffusions Task Force (NDTF) and post-publication via an independent statutory body of INTERPOL the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF). The UK has previously seconded lawyers and an analyst to the NDTF and currently maintains other secondees within INTERPOL.

The NCA uploads INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions that are circulated to the UK onto the Police National Computer and Border Systems. This is typically done within 24 hours and for the purpose of providing UK law enforcement with information required to protect the public at the earliest opportunity. Enquiries are then undertaken by the NCA to identify if the individual circulated has a footprint in the UK. Any cases where a potential UK lead is identified are then prioritised for action.

Home Office and NCA officials actively engage with INTERPOL through formal structures such as the Committee on Governance group, and via informal meetings, to explore ways to further strengthen measures to tackle abuse of INTERPOL systems by hostile states. This includes ongoing work to amend the INTERPOL Constitution. The Government will not hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.

Any misuse of INTERPOL tools, including Red Notices, is taken very seriously by this Government.

The UK continues to support INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place to protect individuals’ rights and uphold Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which forbids the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character, as well as Article 2 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which ensures and promotes the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

INTERPOL’s safeguards operate at two stages: pre-publication via the Notices and Diffusions Task Force (NDTF) and post-publication via an independent statutory body of INTERPOL the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF). The UK has previously seconded lawyers and an analyst to the NDTF and currently maintains other secondees within INTERPOL.

The NCA uploads INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions that are circulated to the UK onto the Police National Computer and Border Systems. This is typically done within 24 hours and for the purpose of providing UK law enforcement with information required to protect the public at the earliest opportunity. Enquiries are then undertaken by the NCA to identify if the individual circulated has a footprint in the UK. Any cases where a potential UK lead is identified are then prioritised for action.

Home Office and NCA officials actively engage with INTERPOL through formal structures such as the Committee on Governance group, and via informal meetings, to explore ways to further strengthen measures to tackle abuse of INTERPOL systems by hostile states. This includes ongoing work to amend the INTERPOL Constitution. The Government will not hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.

Any misuse of INTERPOL tools, including Red Notices, is taken very seriously by this Government.

The UK continues to support INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place to protect individuals’ rights and uphold Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which forbids the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character, as well as Article 2 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which ensures and promotes the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

INTERPOL’s safeguards operate at two stages: pre-publication via the Notices and Diffusions Task Force (NDTF) and post-publication via an independent statutory body of INTERPOL the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF). The UK has previously seconded lawyers and an analyst to the NDTF and currently maintains other secondees within INTERPOL.

The NCA uploads INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions that are circulated to the UK onto the Police National Computer and Border Systems. This is typically done within 24 hours and for the purpose of providing UK law enforcement with information required to protect the public at the earliest opportunity. Enquiries are then undertaken by the NCA to identify if the individual circulated has a footprint in the UK. Any cases where a potential UK lead is identified are then prioritised for action.

Home Office and NCA officials actively engage with INTERPOL through formal structures such as the Committee on Governance group, and via informal meetings, to explore ways to further strengthen measures to tackle abuse of INTERPOL systems by hostile states. This includes ongoing work to amend the INTERPOL Constitution. The Government will not hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.

Any misuse of INTERPOL tools, including Red Notices, is taken very seriously by this Government.

The UK continues to support INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place to protect individuals’ rights and uphold Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which forbids the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character, as well as Article 2 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which ensures and promotes the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

INTERPOL’s safeguards operate at two stages: pre-publication via the Notices and Diffusions Task Force (NDTF) and post-publication via an independent statutory body of INTERPOL the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF). The UK has previously seconded lawyers and an analyst to the NDTF and currently maintains other secondees within INTERPOL.

The NCA uploads INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions that are circulated to the UK onto the Police National Computer and Border Systems. This is typically done within 24 hours and for the purpose of providing UK law enforcement with information required to protect the public at the earliest opportunity. Enquiries are then undertaken by the NCA to identify if the individual circulated has a footprint in the UK. Any cases where a potential UK lead is identified are then prioritised for action.

Home Office and NCA officials actively engage with INTERPOL through formal structures such as the Committee on Governance group, and via informal meetings, to explore ways to further strengthen measures to tackle abuse of INTERPOL systems by hostile states. This includes ongoing work to amend the INTERPOL Constitution. The Government will not hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.

Any misuse of INTERPOL tools, including Red Notices, is taken very seriously by this Government.

The UK continues to support INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place to protect individuals’ rights and uphold Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which forbids the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character, as well as Article 2 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which ensures and promotes the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

INTERPOL’s safeguards operate at two stages: pre-publication via the Notices and Diffusions Task Force (NDTF) and post-publication via an independent statutory body of INTERPOL the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF). The UK has previously seconded lawyers and an analyst to the NDTF and currently maintains other secondees within INTERPOL.

The NCA uploads INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions that are circulated to the UK onto the Police National Computer and Border Systems. This is typically done within 24 hours and for the purpose of providing UK law enforcement with information required to protect the public at the earliest opportunity. Enquiries are then undertaken by the NCA to identify if the individual circulated has a footprint in the UK. Any cases where a potential UK lead is identified are then prioritised for action.

Home Office and NCA officials actively engage with INTERPOL through formal structures such as the Committee on Governance group, and via informal meetings, to explore ways to further strengthen measures to tackle abuse of INTERPOL systems by hostile states. This includes ongoing work to amend the INTERPOL Constitution. The Government will not hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.

Any misuse of INTERPOL tools, including Red Notices, is taken very seriously by this Government.

The UK continues to support INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place to protect individuals’ rights and uphold Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which forbids the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character, as well as Article 2 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which ensures and promotes the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

INTERPOL’s safeguards operate at two stages: pre-publication via the Notices and Diffusions Task Force (NDTF) and post-publication via an independent statutory body of INTERPOL the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF). The UK has previously seconded lawyers and an analyst to the NDTF and currently maintains other secondees within INTERPOL.

The NCA uploads INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions that are circulated to the UK onto the Police National Computer and Border Systems. This is typically done within 24 hours and for the purpose of providing UK law enforcement with information required to protect the public at the earliest opportunity. Enquiries are then undertaken by the NCA to identify if the individual circulated has a footprint in the UK. Any cases where a potential UK lead is identified are then prioritised for action.

Home Office and NCA officials actively engage with INTERPOL through formal structures such as the Committee on Governance group, and via informal meetings, to explore ways to further strengthen measures to tackle abuse of INTERPOL systems by hostile states. This includes ongoing work to amend the INTERPOL Constitution. The Government will not hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.

Any misuse of INTERPOL tools, including Red Notices, is taken very seriously by this Government.

The UK continues to support INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place to protect individuals’ rights and uphold Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which forbids the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character, as well as Article 2 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which ensures and promotes the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

INTERPOL’s safeguards operate at two stages: pre-publication via the Notices and Diffusions Task Force (NDTF) and post-publication via an independent statutory body of INTERPOL the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF). The UK has previously seconded lawyers and an analyst to the NDTF and currently maintains other secondees within INTERPOL.

The NCA uploads INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions that are circulated to the UK onto the Police National Computer and Border Systems. This is typically done within 24 hours and for the purpose of providing UK law enforcement with information required to protect the public at the earliest opportunity. Enquiries are then undertaken by the NCA to identify if the individual circulated has a footprint in the UK. Any cases where a potential UK lead is identified are then prioritised for action.

Home Office and NCA officials actively engage with INTERPOL through formal structures such as the Committee on Governance group, and via informal meetings, to explore ways to further strengthen measures to tackle abuse of INTERPOL systems by hostile states. This includes ongoing work to amend the INTERPOL Constitution. The Government will not hesitate to recommend further reforms to INTERPOL as necessary.

We take the issue of preventing foreign criminals entering the UK extremely seriously, and we continue to strengthen our borders so that we can prevent crime and protect the public, delivering on this Government’s commitment totackle foreign criminality.

For example, those required to obtain a visa to enter the UK are checkedagainst a range of police, security and immigration databases for details of any UK or overseas criminal record. All applicants are required to provide details of their criminal history. Where it is found that they failed to declare relevantoffences/convictions, their application will be refused, and they will be subject to a ten-year ban from applying to enter the UK.

What discussions she has had with international counterparts on the adequacy of safeguards governing INTERPOL Red Notices issued in respect of British citizens.

My hon. Friend is a committed advocate for his constituents. I would be very happy to meet him. As he will know, it is a matter of long-standing policy and practice that the UK can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an Interpol alert in a public forum, to protect legitimate criminal justice inquiries, but I would be delighted to meet him.

My constituent Ollie Bennett is wanted by Interpol for an alleged crime in Morocco three decades ago. Ollie has always maintained his innocence, and following a debate in this place, his crewmate was granted a full royal pardon for the same charges. Ollie, however, was not. In December, he was arrested and detained in a French police cell. Although he is now safely home, Ollie remains at risk of arrest each and every time he goes abroad. The irony is that the Moroccan authorities have never filed to extradite Ollie, yet a Moroccan-sponsored Interpol red notice for Ollie remains active. Will the Minister commit to meeting me, to ensure that Ollie can access the support that he needs to successfully appeal this red notice and finally end this 30-year-long groundhog day?

The hon. Member will have heard the point I just made: it is a matter of long-standing policy and practice that we do not confirm Interpol notices in public.

The Government recently informed me that they have received 64 category 2 type B extradition notices under section 70 of the Extradition Act 2003, of which 56 have been certified. Fewer than five of those come from Bangladesh. Can the Minister confirm how many of those relate to Members of this House, and whether there are any Interpol red notices that apply to Members of this House?

The UK is a strong advocate for Interpol, recognising its critical function in supporting international law enforcement co-operation. We also support its ongoing reform programme to ensure there is no space for states to wilfully misuse its systems. The UK is represented at Interpol meetings, where the adequacy of its systems are discussed, and where we work with like-minded partners to enhance safeguards against abuse.