Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab) Madam Deputy Speaker, I begin
my contribution this evening by, through you, thanking Mr Speaker
for allowing me the time for this debate. It is more than poignant
to rise in this House this evening, the night before the sixth
anniversary of the murder of Jo Cox MP. Having requested a debate
on Syria, which I did for a little while, it must have been fated
that a slot would be available this week, given Jo’s incredible
contribution to...Request free trial
(Wirral South) (Lab)
Madam Deputy Speaker, I begin my contribution this evening by,
through you, thanking Mr Speaker for allowing me the time for
this debate. It is more than poignant to rise in this House this
evening, the night before the sixth anniversary of the murder of
MP. Having requested a debate on Syria, which I did for a
little while, it must have been fated that a slot would be
available this week, given Jo’s incredible contribution to
raising the alarm in this House and beyond about the terrible
events occurring in Syria. She warned that if we did not stand
for our principles in the face of those who would trash the
rights of civilians in wartime, it would change our world, and
not for the better, and she was right.
To compound the distress, the last time I led a debate on Syria
in Westminster Hall, it was chaired expertly by . Words simply cannot express
how much we all miss them both and how indebted we are to their
families for the great contribution and sacrifice Sir David and
Jo both made. We think of their families tonight and wish them
strength and love.
The argument I wish to make to the Minister this evening is that
by turning away from conflicts such as that in Syria, we allow
the world to be a more dangerous place. It should be obvious to
everyone in this House that the situation that Syrian civilians
have faced over the past decade—with human rights utterly
obliterated at the hands of the Syrian regime, aided by Russia—is
now echoed in the brutality that the Ukrainians have seen at the
hands of the Russians.
The Minister’s fellow Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Office Minister, the right hon. Member for Braintree (), said:
“Russia’s actions in Ukraine will be familiar to millions of
Syrians who have suffered at the hands of the Assad regime, with
Moscow’s backing. In both countries, Russia has been responsible
for violations of international humanitarian and international
human rights law.”
A person could be forgiven for wondering whether those words mean
anything any more. When Bashar al-Assad’s regime, shielded by
Russia, is responsible for chemical weapons use, arbitrary
detention, torture and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, what
do those words really mean? When Ukrainians see cities destroyed
and siege tactics used yet again to starve people into
submission, what do those words mean?
Our country has been central to the crafting of international
humanitarian and human rights laws. The rights of non-combatants
in the face of aggression are meant to mean something, as are the
right to be treated in a hospital without bombs falling on the
very doctors trying to help and the rights of refugees.
Demonstrating that our words—whether articulated through the UN
declaration of human rights, or the promises rightly made in the
sustainable development goals by a Conservative Government and
supported in every corner of this House—are not empty, but full
of meaning for starving Syrians or starving people anywhere shows
that we care for others in this world, but also that we are
always prepared to stand up for our beliefs in the face of
aggression.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I commend the hon. Lady for securing this debate; I spoke to her
earlier. I understand that 9.3 million Syrians have become food
insecure since 2020 and more than 80% of Syrians are living below
the poverty line. Does she agree that we have a duty of care to
do more to help those victims of war and terror? Our Government
have met their obligations in the past, and hopefully they will
do so even more in future.
The hon. Gentleman pre-empts what I am about to say and makes the
point well. It would be good if the Minister could update the
House on the diplomatic approach that we will take. If we in this
House turn away from our principles, we lose sight not just of
the Syrian people, but of ourselves. We honour our history, our
culture and our interests by standing up for our values and their
implementation. As I mentioned, the then Minister for the Middle
East and North Africa, the right hon. Member for Braintree,
said:
“The best thing for the UK to do is to ensure that the violence
stops”.—[Official Report, 24 February 2020; Vol. 672, c. 28.]
As I said, it would helpful if the Minister could use this
opportunity to update the House on the current strategy.
(Clwyd West) (Con)
I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing the debate. She will
probably be aware that there has been a resurgence of Daesh
activity in northern and eastern Syria. In relation to the point
that she has just made, does that not also underline the need for
the United Kingdom and its allies to pay close attention to what
is happening today in Syria?
The right hon. Gentleman is exactly right. Where we take away our
focus and shift our eyes, we leave a vacuum. Whether it is Daesh
or any other form of terrorism around the world, if we are not
involved in the world—not that we can do everything, but if we
are not doing all we can to prevent the rise of terrorism—in the
end, the House will have to pay attention to it. It is far better
to have a plan and a strategy for dealing with it.
As the hon. Member for Strangford () mentioned, we know that many millions of people—in
fact, most of the Syrian population; I think it is even worse
than he said—are facing acute food insecurity. The number is 51%
higher than in 2019. Record numbers of people need humanitarian
assistance, and food prices have risen by more than 800%. That is
mainly attributed to ongoing fuel shortages, increasing global
food prices, inflation, and, of course, the Ukraine crisis.
Against that backdrop, the World Food Programme has been forced
to reduce food rations in all areas of Syria due to funding
constraints. We face the perfect storm. If the Minister can, will
she touch on the steps that the UK Government are taking, as a
permanent member of the UN Security Council, to ensure the
renewal of resolution 2585 before it expires shortly on 10 July
2022 and ensure that the crucial crossing point at Bab al-Hawa
remains open for the delivery of humanitarian assistance?
As well as there being a huge number of internally displaced
people, many of whom are suffering in the most dreadful
humanitarian conditions, the Syrian refugee population is now the
largest in the world at 6.8 million. I appreciate that some of
this is the Home Office’s responsibility, but will the Minister
update the House on international discussions about support for
that population and on the UK’s view of the future for Syrian
refugees in the world?
It is ludicrous to expect the burden of supporting that number of
people to continually fall on just a few countries. In response
to a public outcry, the Conservative Government previously
created a specific scheme to help to support Syrian refugees, but
that is over now and in the past. We need to learn the lessons of
the Homes for Ukraine scheme and our response in that case, so I
would be grateful if the Minister could indicate the direction
that we might be taking.
Speaking personally, I am inspired by the Syrians I meet in the
United Kingdom. I think of the Syrians who work in the NHS in
Merseyside as doctors. My hon. Friend the Member for Batley and
Spen () also mentioned to me Razan
Alsous, a Syrian refugee she knows who has created a great
business with Yorkshire squeaky cheese, and a fellow Syrian
restaurateur, Khaled Deakin, who is creating a mobile restaurant
in Exeter. Refugees bring their contribution, and they make our
country strong, not weak.
I want to finish by asking the Minister about Syrian civil
society here in the UK, because the route to peace and democracy
in Syria will be very long. While at times it will seem that the
British Government can do very little to bring about change in
Syria, we do now have so many British Syrians and Syrian
civilians here in the UK who will be an indispensable asset in
building the first steps on the long path towards a different
future for Syria. Could the Minister say what work the Foreign
Office is currently undertaking to engage with Syrians in the UK
and British Syrians? There are many issues where the perspective
of our fellow community members in the UK who have a deep
connection to Syria may well be of huge benefit and insight. I am
sure the Minister will herself have learned a great deal from
speaking with them and understanding their priorities, not least
in working towards justice and putting down a path for
prosecution for the horrific crimes committed against civilians
in Syria.
Finally, I want to say something about this House, because we are
often reactive when it comes to such crises. When an emergency
happens in the case of Syria or of Ukraine, we all want our say,
and that is only right in a democracy, but these crises and
conflicts have a sustained impact on the world around us, be it
in Syria or any other conflict that has seen such abysmal
treatment of our fellow human beings. We in this House must have
the persistence and seriousness of purpose to give effect to our
values and to defend our interests, and the moral discipline to
see things through to the end. News cycles can move on; we must
not.
Jo described Syria as “our generation’s test”, but when you fail
a test, you learn your lesson, and we must do that not just for
the Syrians, who deserve better from us all, but for every victim
of every conflict wherever they may be, so that we may see them
not as a victim of some foreign war, but very much as the
business of this House.
7.12pm
The Minister for Asia and the Middle East ()
Can I say how grateful I am to the hon. Member for Wirral South
() for securing this very
timely debate? I pay tribute to her for her work as chair of the
all-party parliamentary friends of Syria group, and for her
passion for Syria, as evidenced in her speech.
I also want to pay tribute to the legacy of and her commitment to the people of Syria, noting, as the
hon. Member mentioned, that it is the anniversary of her horrific
murder tomorrow and the fact that chaired the last debate on this
subject. As she said, they are both sorely missed by this
House.
Bashar al-Assad and his allies, including Russia, have inflicted
terrible suffering on Syrians for over 11 years now. Children
born in Syria in the last decade have been subjected to terrible
violence, hunger and deprivation. The UK Government continue to
call for an end to this suffering through full implementation of
United Nations Security Council resolution 2254, a nationwide
ceasefire and progress towards an inclusive, representative
political process.
Much of what we have seen play out in Syria, such as the crushing
of dissent, attacks on civilian targets and a brutal conflict
that has displaced millions, is now being replayed in Ukraine.
Peace is a necessity for Syria, its people and us all.
Syria’s conflict has killed more than half a million people,
displaced 60% of the population, and collapsed the Syrian
economy. Under Assad’s regime people have faced arbitrary
detention, brutal torture and indiscriminate attacks. There is
clear evidence that Assad has used chemical weapons against his
own people on at least eight occasions, and has the capability to
conduct further attacks. Russia continues to shield Assad from
accountability for his crimes, through disinformation and false
narratives. Along with Iran, Russia has provided significant
military support to the Syrian regime. The conflict has also
created space for Daesh and other extreme groups to operate in,
which continues to pose one of the most significant global
terrorist threats, including to UK citizens.
The UK has responded to the situation in Syria by delivering our
largest ever commitment to a single humanitarian crisis to date.
We have committed a total of £3.8 billion since 2012, including
up to £150 million pledged this year. Even so, aid is struggling
to keep pace with the growing need in the region as the conflict
continues. Today more than 14 million people are in need of
assistance. Access issues and politicisation are complicating
delivery, putting those in need at further risk. As the hon. Lady
said, in July the UN Security Council will hold a crucial vote to
renew the UN’s mandate to deliver aid cross-border into Syria.
Russian cruelty in the past three years has blocked that in the
Security Council, and reduced UN access to a single border
crossing. I visited Turkey last week to see first hand the
importance of that issue, and to raise awareness. We are calling
on all Security Council members to renew resolution 2585 and to
provide cross-border aid at next month’s vote. We thank our
allies and partners for their continued support.
The UK also supports efforts to maintain the current ceasefire in
north-west Syria, including Turkey’s efforts to protect
civilians. We will continue to support Syria’s neighbours, so
that they can meet the needs of Syrians seeking refuge. As they
are so often, women and girls are the worst affected by the
conflict. They also face horrific gender-based violence,
including sexual violence. Support for women and girls is at the
heart of UK foreign and development policy, through three
innovation pilots that seek to prevent violence by targeting the
widespread inequality that denies women ownership of land and
access to economic resources and opportunities. We continue to
push for a more robust global response to gender-based violence.
The conflict is also denying Syria’s children their basic human
right to education, impacting a whole generation of young people.
Since 2018, the UK-funded Syria education programme has reached
more than half a million children, supporting 85% of children in
lower primary school to be enrolled in schools in the
north-west.
Just as we are consistent with aid, so will we continue to hold
Assad’s regime and its backers to account, including by
sanctioning those close to him, and through our support for
international law. There can be no impunity for violations of
international, humanitarian and human rights law. Since 2012 the
Government have contributed more than £40 million to gather
evidence and help victims of human rights abuses and violations,
including through the UN. We welcome the release of any
detainees, but the regime has denied independent verification of
its recent amnesty on prisoners, and there are still 130,000 who
remain unaccounted for.
Our position on the regime’s abhorrent use of chemical weapons
during this conflict is well known. The UK has full confidence in
the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and its
investigations, which have attributed multiple attacks to the
Assad regime. We will continue to push Assad to comply with the
Chemical Weapons Convention.
On the point raised by my right hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd
West (Mr Jones) about Daesh, threats from terrorist and extremist
groups rooted in Syria remain. The UK is a leading member of the
global coalition against Daesh. We remain committed to ensuring
it cannot resurge in the region, working with the coalition and
our regional allies.
I also want to pick up on the hon. Lady’s comment about civil
society. We recognise the contribution of Syrians in the UK. The
Government support and work closely with Syrian civilian society,
especially in terms of upholding human rights.
In conclusion, the UK is committed to supporting the people of
Syria. They have not been forgotten. We are clear that the UN-led
political process, led by special envoy Pederson, is the only
pathway to bring the peace that Syrians need and deserve. The
Assad regime craves legitimacy, but continues to bring suffering
and oppression to its people, and to stall the political process
as it pursues self-preservation over genuine political reform.
Until the regime participates in that process in good faith, we
will not engage with Assad and will discourage others from doing
so. Meanwhile, the UK will continue to deliver lifesaving and
life-sustaining humanitarian assistance to protect women and
girls, and to hold the regime and its backers to account.
Question put and agreed to.
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