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1041367

registered interest
date	14/01/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the number of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	208194
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2019 answer text <p>2018 saw an 80 percent reduction, comapred to 2014 in the number of migrants crossing the central Mediterranean from North Africa to Italy – from 119,000 in 2017 to 23,000 in 2018, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) figures. The number of fatalities on the central route has not reduced by the same rate. According to UNHCR the proportion of dead and missing compared to the number of arrivals doubled in 2018 to 5.6 percent from 2.4 percent in 2017. The largest proportion of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa during 2018 continued to be from Libya, although the proportion crossing from Tunisia increased during 2018. The European Commission reports the Italian Ministry of Interior as stating that 56 percent of migrants heading for Italy departed from Libya.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 17/01/2019 16:11:01 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1039605

registered interest
date	11/01/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions has he had with his counterpart in (a) Morocco, (b) Algeria and (c) Libya about migrants and asylum-seekers crossing the Mediterranean.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
uin	207562
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2019 answer text <p>The British Government is committed to tackling unmanaged migration through concerted interventions at every stage of the migrant journey to address root causes, tackle criminality and trafficking, increase awareness of the risks of undertaking perilous journeys, and strengthen borders and returns processes.</p><p>I met Moroccan Deputy Foreign Minister, Mounia Boucetta, during the Intergovernmental Conference to endorse the Global Compact for Migration in Marrakech in December. We support Moroccan efforts to address the root causes of migration, as the most effective long-term solution to unmanaged, irregular migration, using development assistance.</p><p>I have spoken with Noureddine Bedoui, the Algerian Minister of Interior about the challenges facing Algeria from migration.</p><p>I have raised the importance of offering humanitarian support to migrants and the need to respect human rights with Ahmed Maiteeq, the Libyan Deputy Prime Minister.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 21/01/2019 14:53:30 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz

1037905

registered interest
date	08/01/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the merits of the EU decision to extend Operation Sophia for three more months until the end of March 2019.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
tabling member printed	Royston Smith
uin	206416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>This mandate extension allows the Operation to continue for a further three months and authorises the continuation of the Crime Information Cell, which allows better coordination between the Operation and law enforcement agencies, for the duration of the mandate. As EU Member States have yet to agree long-term arrangements for disembarking migrants rescued by vessels attached to the Operation, a technical extension to the mandate was necessary to allow time for Member States to find a solution.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 16/01/2019 15:08:31 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith

1037906

registered interest
date	08/01/2019
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of Operation Sophia in deterring illegal migrants seeking entry to the EU.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
tabling member printed	Royston Smith
uin	206417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>Since Operation Sophia launched in July 2015, it has trained over 200 members of the Libyan Coastguard and Navy (LCG&amp;N) on human rights, gender, and search and rescue, to improve their conduct and effectiveness in these areas. The LCG&amp;N is now better able to rescue migrants at sea, which has been a contributory factor in reducing the volume of migrants crossing the Central Mediterranean into Italy. The smuggling networks can no longer operate with impunity in International Waters. The Operation has put over 551 smuggling vessels beyond use and rescued over 44,000 migrants.</p><p><br>Operation Sophia is just one part of the EU’s overall approach to tackling the migration crisis. Ultimately, the UK Government aims to prioritise interventions upstream in countries of origin and transit to reduce the need of migrants to leave their home country or move on from a safe third country in their region. At the same time UK and EU efforts aim to alleviate the suffering of migrants in Libya through measures such as providing critical humanitarian assistance, supporting assisted voluntary returns, and working with the UN towards a political solution in Libya. The UK is clear that significant improvement in the human rights situation in Libya requires the stability of a united and representative government. <br>​</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 16/01/2019 15:17:07 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith

1015578

registered interest
date	27/11/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Tunisian counterpart on steps to prevent migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	196202
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>The British Government is concerned about the increasing numbers of migrants crossing illegally from Tunisia to Europe.</p><p>We are working closely with the Tunisian Government to help improve their border security, including through the provision of Royal Navy and Royal Marine instructors to assist the Tunisian National Guard Maritime section. More broadly, the British Government actively pursues a 'whole of route' approach to addressing unmanaged migration from Africa to Europe, tackling the drivers of migration that encourage people to undertake the dangerous journey in the first place. We will play an active role in the Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, to be held in Marrakech in December.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 04/12/2018 15:30:40 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

934398

registered interest
date	03/07/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of migrants departing from the Libyan coast who have drowned in the last two months.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
uin	160165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2018 answer text <p>The British Government monitors closely the number of migrants who cross the Mediterranean to Europe, or attempt this dangerous crossing, including via the Central Mediterranean route from Libya to Italy. The International Organisation for Migration's (IOM) publication 'Migration Flows to Europe – Quarterly Review, Q1 2018' states that there were 497 fatalities across the three Mediterranean routes (Central Route, Western Route from Morocco to Spain and Eastern Route from Turkey to Greece) from January to March 2018 compared with 803 for the same period last year. Despite this reduction, this shows the ongoing need to tackle the challenge of illegal migration and its consequences. The British Government will continue to engage proactively with the EU and internationally in pursuit of a whole of route approach to tacking this challenge.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/07/2018 14:00:41 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

934399

registered interest
date	03/07/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) financial and (b) diplomatic support the Government is offering to humanitarian rescue missions offering help to migrants departing the Libyan coast.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
uin	160166
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2018 answer text <p>​The British Government recognises the value of search and rescue operations undertaken by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the Mediterranean but does not provide financial or diplomatic support. Since May 2015, UK naval and Border Force assets under EU Operation Sophia and Frontex operations have rescued over 31,000 people in the central Mediterranean and Aegean.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/07/2018 14:03:32 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

797384

registered interest
date	29/11/2017
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have tried to make the sea crossing between North Africa and Europe in the last six months.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	116347
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2017 answer text <p>​According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 89,755 people crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa into Italy and Spain from May to October 2017. We do not have statistics for the number of attempted crossings.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 04/12/2017 17:25:07 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

748731

registered interest
date	05/07/2017
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Libyan Coastguard personnel have participated in training provided by armed forces personnel as part of the UK's support to Operation Sophia in the last two years.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	3207
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2017 answer text <p>The training of the Libyan Navy Coastguard in basic seamanship skills makes up a small proportion of the Op SOPHIA Activity. The UK specifically have trained 18 Libyan Navy Coastguard. This took place between 16 October to 28 November 2016.</p><p>The overall net additional cost was £35,000.</p><p>More Libyan Naval Coastguard training is planned for later in 2017.</p> answering member constituency Milton Keynes North answering member printed Mark Lancaster grouped question UIN 3208 question first answered 10/07/2017 16:41:16 answering member 1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

748732

registered interest
date	05/07/2017
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will estimate the cost of training Libyan Coastguard personnel as part of the UK's support to Operation Sophia.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	3208
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2017 answer text <p>The training of the Libyan Navy Coastguard in basic seamanship skills makes up a small proportion of the Op SOPHIA Activity. The UK specifically have trained 18 Libyan Navy Coastguard. This took place between 16 October to 28 November 2016.</p><p>The overall net additional cost was £35,000.</p><p>More Libyan Naval Coastguard training is planned for later in 2017.</p> answering member constituency Milton Keynes North answering member printed Mark Lancaster grouped question UIN 3207 question first answered 10/07/2017 16:41:16 answering member 1544 label Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones