British MP Ben Lake, a staunch supporter of the Polisario Front in the House of Commons, has submitted a written question to the Labour government. He asks whether the government plans to ask the UN Secretary General to «investigate how many allegations of human rights abuses have been made to the Moroccan National Human Rights Council in Western Sahara». The parliamentarian is also questioning the follow-up on these allegations: «and whether those allegations have been investigated in each year since 2015». Ben Lake's reference to this particular year is significant, as it marks the last visit by a delegation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Sahara, a visit authorized by Moroccan authorities. In his written response on April 22, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, reaffirmed the UK's commitment to human rights globally, including in Western Sahara. «We consistently support the UN efforts to resolve the situation in Western Sahara, and support language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association». Hamish Falconer In another written question, Ben Lake asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government about the expulsion of three Spaniards from the Sahara. «The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office have had no such discussions regarding these three individuals», Hamish Falconer clarified in his response. It is worth noting that the British government has not ruled out the possibility of explicitly supporting Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara. «We continue our discussions with our Moroccan friends», stated Foreign Minister David Lammy in early April, in response to an oral question from Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell.
