19 March 2026
On 19 March the Bishop of Chelmsford the Rt Rev'd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani asked an Oral Question in the House of Lords regarding the situation in Lebanon.
Bishop Guli's question can be watched and read below:
Bishop Guli asked "What assessment has His Majesty's Government made of refugee movements following Israeli military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon?"
She then asked the following supplementary question:
"I imagine many of us are shocked by the Israeli Defence Minister drawing parallels with Gaza and I know Lebanese officials have expressed deep concern. Indeed I was in a meeting recently where the Lebanese ambassador to this country spoke with great anxiety about Lebanon as the new Gaza. This outcome must be prevented at all costs although the Lebanese people are, of course, already caught in the crossfires of hostilities. The UNHCR now say that over 800,000 people have registered as displaced. I welcome the Government’s commitment to increased humanitarian aid and diplomatic steps to prevent further regional destabilisation, but may I ask the Minister how they will sustain support for countries in the region hosting refugees and also what progress has been made on the establishment of safe and legal routes to enable asylum seekers to apply to travel safely to the UK?"
Questions on the matter then continued and the session can be viewed in full here.
