UK to take more child refugees

BRITAIN is to accept an extra 130 refugee children after the Government found places had been under-counted because of an ‘administrative error’.

Ministers faced a furious backlash in February when they announced 350 unaccompanied minors would arrive from Europe through the scheme – well below the 3,000 campaigners had called for.

Now the Home Office has announced the number of children resettled under the programme – known as the Dubs Amendment after Labour peer Lord Dubs – will rise to 480. It follows the discovery that scores of offers of support for youngsters from councils were mistakenly missed.

Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill told the Commons: ‘The Government has very recently become aware that due to an administrative error as part of collating the figures, one region pledged 130 places which were not accounted for in setting the specified number. To ensure the specified number of children to be transferred is a true reflection of the responses to that consultation … the Government is increasing the specified number from 350 to 480.’

Home Office officials have met counterparts in Europe to plan future transfers.

Lord Dubs said: ‘I’m delighted for the sake of those 130 children but shocked and disgusted that the Government has made such a mess of this.’