Government to resettle 3,000 extra refugees
The Government has committed to resettling up to 3,000 children and families from the Middle East and North Africa, in addition to the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, it has announced. Local authorities across the country are currently supporting more than 4,000 unaccompanied asylum seeking children, they said.
Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said: “We are committed to fulfilling our commitment under the Dubs scheme as soon as possible and ensuring that children arrive in the UK safely. This is just one aspect of a much wider response. We have committed to resettling 23,000 people directly from regions of conflict
and last year we granted protection, or another form of leave, to over 8,000 children.
"We are grateful for the support Scotland and Wales have provided and we have made clear our intention to extend the National Transfer Scheme to the rest of the UK so their local authorities can fully participate. We believe the most vulnerable children are in the conflict zone around Syria and the best way to help them is by resettling refugees directly from the region. This is how we can stop traffickers and smugglers from exploiting vulnerable people and children.”
The Government has previously been accused of dragging its feet over the issue of allowing Syrian refugees into the country, although public opinion on how many the UK should take remains bitterly divided.
Last week it emerged that some child refugees have been waiting more than a year to transfer from Greece to the UK. The outgoing Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said he was aware of two young people who signed a consent form to be transferred under the Dubs scheme in 2016 but are "still stuck" in Greece. Mr Farron also questioned when the Government would meet its "measly" commitment to transfer 480 unaccompanied minors from Europe, noting 200 have so far been given sanctuary.