Foreign Affairs - Thangam Debbonaire

Afghan resettlement scheme fails persecuted people

When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in the summer, my inbox was flooded with messages from desperate people trying to find a way to escape persecution, torture and murder. My caseworkers and I were able to help some. Many others were left behind due to incompetence at the Foreign Office.…

My highlights from 2021

I know it’s been a tough year for everyone – and I’m always going to do my best to help, campaign, and be a voice in parliament for all of you, in good times and bad. To update you on what I’m doing as your MP, here is my round-up…

Freedom for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Today I met Richard Ratcliffe, husband of Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe who has been wrongly detained in Iran for more than five years. He is on day 16 of his hunger strike, making this desperate protest to shake the government into action and bring her home. It is two years since…

Afghanistan: What next for people trying to escape?

As I write, we are all still coming to terms with the very violent attacks on civilians and armed forces at Kabul Airport last night. It’s been devastating to see events unfold in this way, knowing that people who have lost their lives or been terribly injured were already in…

Afghanistan Update

Yesterday, 18th August 2021, Parliament was recalled to debate the situation in Afghanistan. I was not able to speak but followed the debate closely all day. This is possibly one of the most significant moments for UK foreign policy for decades. It is turning into a humanitarian crisis of massive…

The situation in Afghanistan

As I write, the Taliban is consolidating their hold on Afghanistan. They have entered Kabul and the Presidential Buildings. The chaos, distress, and fear this is causing for Afghan people, those in the wider region and across the world is desperately sad, and I’m afraid, it was partly avoidable. This…