§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are under a duty to protect the interests of those who are former British residents and are now detained by the United States Government at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and, if so, whether the duty is affected if those detained had refugee status in the United Kingdom and had not intended to leave this country permanently. [HL4730]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe British Government are not in a position to provide consular or diplomatic assistance to those detainees in Guantanamo Bay who are not British nationals, including those who hold refugee status and are, or were, resident in the United Kingdom.
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made representations to the United States Government in respect of the cases of Mr Bisher al-Rawi and Mr Jamil el-Banna; and, if so, what information about these cases they have asked the United States to take into account. [HL4731]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanBisher al-Rawi and Jamil el-Banna are not British nationals. The British Government are therefore not in a position to provide them with consular or diplomatic assistance or to seek to make representations to the US Government on their behalf.
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will seek to prevent the deportation of Mr Bisher al-Rawi to Iraq and Mr Jamil el-Banna to Jordan on the humanitarian grounds that their families are resident in Britain and that the men themselves might be at risk of death or torture if they were to be deported. [HL4732]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanBisher al-Rawi and Jamil el-Banna are not British nationals. The decision on whether they will be released from Guantanamo Bay, and if so to which country they may be returned, is a matter for the US Government.