The Government has had “no contact or no request” for the British wife of Bashar Assad to come to the UK, a Cabinet minister has said.
Pat McFadden told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the issue is “not something that’s been raised” with the Government.
Asma Assad was born in London in 1975, and was raised and educated in the city. She is now believed to be in Moscow with her husband, where the ousted Syrian leader has fled.
The rapid collapse of the Assad regime saw a coalition of rebel groups seize control of Damascus on Sunday.
The (Assad) family are in Russia as far as we know, that’s what Russian state media have said. We’ve certainly had no contact or no request for Mr Assad’s wife to come to the UK
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Mr McFadden was asked by the BBC what the Government would do if Mrs Assad wanted to live in the UK.
He told the station: “The family are in Russia as far as we know, that’s what Russian state media have said.
“We’ve certainly had no contact or no request for Mr Assad’s wife to come to the UK.”
Pushed again on whether she could exercise the right to come to the UK, Mr McFadden added: “I couldn’t comment on her individual rights.
From the point of view of the UK Government, our main concern at the moment is what the future is, whether the rights of citizens and minorities are protected and whether stability can come to a country that has had so much violence and war over the past 15 years
“I don’t know her exact circumstances, so I don’t know what would happen in those circumstances, but it’s not something that’s been raised with us.”
He also suggested that the Government would not have to think about it “unless it’s raised with us”.
“From the point of view of the UK Government, our main concern at the moment is what the future is, whether the rights of citizens and minorities are protected and whether stability can come to a country that has had so much violence and war over the past 15 years,” Mr McFadden added.
It is understood that referrals were made to the Metropolitan Police’s war crimes team in relation to Mrs Assad in 2020 and 2021, but the matter was subsequently dropped.
