UK to give sanctuary to refugee children – but not if they are in Europe

Last Updated: January 28, 2016By

Children in camps in Europe will not be among those being given refuge under the new initiative [Image: AFP].

David Cameron is slipping – his vindictiveness is increasingly evident.

Can there be any doubt that the only reason he won’t help refugees who have fled to Europe is that Jeremy Corbyn has said that he should?

Still, this is a baby-step in the right direction, and we should praise all the organisations and individuals who have pushed him into taking it, because a Conservative government certainly would not have done it independently.

The UK is to give sanctuary to unaccompanied child refugees from Syria and other conflict zones but will not take in anyone who has fled to Europe.

The Home Office says it will work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to identify “exceptional cases” of children in Syria and neighbouring countries who should be given shelter.

Campaigners have urged the UK to accept 3,000 under-18s directly from Europe.

But £10m will be given instead to help vulnerable minors across the continent.

Campaigners welcomed the announcement but Labour warned about a “false distinction between refugees in the region and refugees in Europe” and UKIP said £10m was a “miniscule amount”.

Source: UK to give sanctuary to unaccompanied refugee children – BBC News

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  1. Terry Davies January 28, 2016 at 8:48 am - Reply

    its predictable as he has lost the plot.
    there are several fitting quotes to cover his predicament.
    as a paraphrase you cant fool “all the people all of the time” cameron, and cronies are finding this to their cost.
    Tory elitists are living in the USA so wont be subjected to any violent backlash of their greed-driven policies.

  2. Merry Cross January 28, 2016 at 9:54 am - Reply

    Oh goody – let’s separate thousands of children from their families and culture and turn them into little English children. Personally I think this is more insanity, which will lead to loads of even more traumatised children. And if we are already having trouble finding foster and adoptive parents, exactly where will the saintly adults come from?

    • Martin Odoni January 29, 2016 at 3:40 pm - Reply

      No one is saying it’s ideal, but given how horrendous the conditions are in most refugee camps, it’s still better than the current status quo.

      Yes, I would rather their whole families were being allowed in, but with the current Government so desperate to pander to the xenophobes on its backbenches, there seems little chance of that.

  3. Joan Edington January 28, 2016 at 12:52 pm - Reply

    UKIP are right that £10m is a miniscule amount to tackle such an issue and I wonder why they said it. Are they glad of the small amount, because it will mean fewer refugees coming to the UK, or do they really think it should be more? It’s not like UKIP to welcome “Johnny Foreigner”. (Quotes to apply the term to the attitude of Daily Mail readers, not mine.)

    • Mike Sivier January 28, 2016 at 8:11 pm - Reply

      Yes indeed. I thought this comment was opaque, too.

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