Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Judges and Legal Professionals: Afghanistan

Tuesday 14 September 2021 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial discussions with the Foreign Secretary are ongoing to ensure the safety of judges and legal professionals in Afghanistan.
  • The Secretary of State is in daily communication with the judiciary and legal profession to support Afghan legal professionals who will come to or have arrived in the UK.
  • The Afghan citizens resettlement scheme was announced to provide a clear route to safety for judges and other lawyers in Afghanistan, prioritising them under the scheme.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Virendra Sharma Lab
Justice & Courts Foreign Affairs
Context

The safety concerns for judges, legal professionals, and others in Afghanistan are pressing issues that require immediate attention.

Question

What recent discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary on ensuring the safety of judges and legal professionals in Afghanistan?

Answer from Robert Buckland

I acknowledge the grave concerns of judges, legal professionals and beyond, both here and in Afghanistan. My Department continues to work urgently to support cross-Government efforts to provide safe passage for judges in Afghanistan, including by ensuring that individual cases brought to my attention are immediately lodged with relevant parts of the system.

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Q2 Paul Holmes Con Hamble Valley
Immigration Justice & Courts
Context

Legal professionals from Afghanistan are relocating to the UK, and there is a need to support these individuals effectively.

Question

What engagement has the Secretary of State had with the judiciary and legal professionals on supporting Afghan judges and legal professionals who will come to the UK or have already arrived?

Answer from Robert Buckland

I can reassure my hon. Friend that I am in daily communication with the judiciary and the wider legal profession, including Mrs Justice McGowan, discussing ways to provide support for Afghan legal professionals here in the UK.

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Q3 Virendra Sharma Lab
Asylum & Refugees
Context

Refugees from Afghanistan are facing delays in the tribunal process, and there is a need to address these issues.

Question

After raising directly with the Government hundreds of separate cases covering thousands of people, I know of only two cases that have been resolved. What are the Government doing to help refugees from Afghanistan who are facing massive delays in the tribunal backlog?

Answer from Robert Buckland

Yesterday, the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme was announced. That provides a clear route to safety for judges and other lawyers in Afghanistan, prioritising them under the scheme. Some judges have already been resettled here in the UK, with efforts continuing.

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Q4 David Lammy Lab Tottenham
Immigration Foreign Affairs
Context

A list of 126 Afghan judges at risk was sent to the Foreign Office but received no response, and only nine have been relocated.

Question

Can he confirm whether the number of Afghan judges relocated to the UK remains in single digits, what the number currently is, and how much higher it could be if the Foreign Secretary had not been missing in action?

Answer from Robert Buckland

I have been working directly with the legal sector, the Bar Council and individual leading members of the profession virtually daily. I will not rest until we do everything we can to help these dedicated professionals. The list mentioned is something I would love to see; I will keep the House updated on numbers as they are made available.

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