Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2016-06-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the EU–Turkey deal on the safety and security of Syrian refugees.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The UK is committed to the successful implementation of the EU/ Turkey migration deal. The numbers of migrants arriving at Greek islands has significantly reduced since this deal came into effect and it is making genuine difference to managing the flows of migration; preventing people from dying in attempting the crossing or putting themselves in the hands of smugglers. Turkey is already hosting over 2.7 million Syrian refugees all of whom are provided with access to healthcare, education and the labour market.

We are also pleased to note that the recent agreements Turkey has reached with the European Commission and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in providing them with access to the Düziçi Camp and Kirklareli Removal Centre. The UK continues to work with Turkey to deliver further improvements to their immigration and asylum services.

In addition, the UK is contributing £250 million towards the 3 billion Euros Turkey Refugee Facility agreed by all EU Member States to help Turkey address the consequences of the Syria conflict. Our support will fund schools, hospitals and housing to meet the needs of refugees.