Vulnerable refugee scheme to be expanded

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said the UK will expand a scheme for vulnerable Syrian refugees to include those from other countries affected by the conflict.

Ms Rudd said widening the scope of the Syrian vulnerable persons resettlement scheme would help the most vulnerable people in the region.

Some7,307syriannationals have been brought to the UK under the scheme since it launched in January 2014, half of whom are children.

However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has told ministers the scheme would benefit from being extended to encompass the most vulnerable refugees from across the region, not just Syrians. Ms Rudd announced the expansion in a written statement to Parliament.