Human Rights

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2017

Tuesday, 30 May 2017

Questions (338)

Mick Wallace

Question:

338. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Question No. 267 of 28 March 2017, if he has raised the issue of China's classification of all Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, citizens fleeing the regime and entering illegally into China as economic migrants at the UN level or bilaterally with China, in view of the fact that this classification prevents the UNHCR from carrying out its work in determining the status of DPRK citizens as refugees and results in many DPRK citizens being sent back to a regime in which they face grave danger in violation of China's obligations of non-refoulement under the UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees 1951; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25826/17]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

Further to parliamentary question number 267 of 28 March 2017, I have not raised the issue in question at the UN level or bilaterally with China. Nonetheless, I remain concerned about reports of cases of DPRK refugees and asylum seekers being arrested in China and facing refoulement to the DPRK. I would urge the Chinese authorities to ensure that they do their upmost to meet their international and humanitarian obligations in this regard.

As outlined in parliamentary question number 267 of 28 March 2017, the EU raises the issue of non-refoulement of refugees from North Korea with China regularly and through a number of fora. Specifically, the issue is raised in the context of the annual Human Rights Dialogue between the EU and China. The last session of this dialogue took place in November 2015. The next session is scheduled to take place shortly. The issue of North Korean refugees has been raised in this dialogue since the inception of the dialogue in 1995. The issue is also raised with China by the EU, where appropriate, in other meetings at both working level and at political level including at the annual EU-China Summit and EU-China High-level Strategic Dialogue.