The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 20th February 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of Iraqi refugees in Jordan that have (1) applied for, and (2) been granted, asylum in the UK since 2014.
Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con): The Home Office publishes data on asylum and resettlement in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release(opens in a new tab)’. Data on the number of asylum applications and initial decisions by nationality are published in table Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 respectively of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets(opens in a new tab). Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to Q3 2022.
Please note, to apply for asylum in the UK, individuals must be physically in the UK. Published statistics therefore relate to Iraqi nationals who have applied for asylum while in the UK. The Home Office does not collect information on the location of refugees after they have received their decision.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar(opens in a new tab)’.
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government:
- what estimate they have made, if any, of the number of Iraqi refugees and asylum seekers in Jordan; and what assistance they have provided to such refugees and asylum seekers.
- what assistance they have provided to the government of Iraq to establish the conditions necessary for Iraqi refugees to return from Jordan.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported 65,724 Iraqi refugees registered in Jordan in November 2022. In 2022 the UK supported 70,000 vulnerable refugees in Jordan with cash assistance to cover basic needs such as food and shelter and 150,000 refugee children to access education. The UK does not distinguish its support between Iraqi and other refugees but instead targets its support to the most vulnerable through UN agencies.
Since the expansion of Daesh in 2014, the UK has committed over £370 million in humanitarian and stabilisation assistance in Iraq to support communities across Iraq, including the reconstruction of areas affected by conflict and creating the conditions for displaced Iraqis to be able to return home. This includes £5 million to provide technical assistance to the Government of Iraq to improve its capacity to support displaced communities to return home and improve the coordination of services available to them. We continue to work with the Government of Iraq to ensure that areas affected by conflict are adequately support and that any returns are safe, dignified and voluntary.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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