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David Cameron: UK will take thousands more Syrian refugees David Cameron: UK will take thousands more Syrian refugees
(34 minutes later)
Britain will take “thousands more” refugees from camps on the borders of war-torn Syria, David Cameron has announced. David Cameron has bowed to overwhelming domestic and international pressure and announced that Britain will accept “thousands more” Syrian refugees.
Speaking during a visit to Portugal on Friday, the prime minister said he would set out details of the plans next week. The prime minister said the government would “act with our head and our heart” in response to the crisis and suffering of the refugees.
Britain was already “providing sanctuary” to around 5,000 refugees from the camps, and had provided around £900m in aid - more than any other European country, he said, adding that the country had a “moral responsibility” to help refugees. The announcement, made in Lisbon after Cameron held talks with his Portuguese counterpart, followed a steady build-up of pressure from politicians, churches, council leaders and community groups, urging the government to show greater humanity. It was further increased by the outpouring of grief over the death of Aylan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy whose body was washed up on a Turkish beach.
But he gave no indication that the UK would be willing to resettle any of the hundreds of thousands of people who have made perilous Mediterranean crossings by boat to reach Europe over the past few months. Cameron said: “We have already accepted around 5,000 Syrians and we have introduced a specific resettlement scheme, alongside those we already have, to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk. As I said earlier this week, we will accept thousands more under these existing schemes and we keep them under review.
More details soon … “And given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of the people, today I can announce that we will do more – providing resettlement for thousands more Syrian refugees.”
Related: How many refugees should the UK take in? | Patrick Kingsley, Diane Abbott, Dan Hannan, Tim Finch, Jonathan Wittenberg
He added: “Britain will act with its head and its heart providing refuge for those in need while working on a long-term solution to the crisis. As I said earlier in the week, that means bringing an end to the conflicts that are driving so many to flee, including the bloodbath that has engulfed Syria.”
The prime minister was expected to give further details of his plans later on Friday at a press conference in Madrid with his Spanish counterpart, Mariano Rajoy. It is likely to involve an expansion of the vulnerable persons relocation scheme which has admitted a small number of refugees from camps in countries neighbouring Syria.
Cameron said: “We will continue with our approach of taking those from the refugee camps. This provides them with a direct and safe route to the UK, rather than risking the hazardous journey which has cost so many lives.
“We will discuss how best to design these schemes and the numbers we will take with NGOs and partners. And we will set out further details next week.”
Cameron defended Britain’s response so far to the crisis, saying the UK had provided generous support for refugees in the camps. “Britain has a moral responsibility to help refugees, as we have done throughout our history. We already are providing sanctuary and we will continue to do so.
“As the second largest bilateral donor to the crisis, we have provided over £900m in aid to help those affected in Syria and the region – funding shelter, food, water and vital medical supplies for millions of desperate refugees fleeing the conflict and helping them to survive in the countries surrounding Syria, like Jordan and Lebanon.
“No European country has done more than Britain in this regard. Were it not for that massive aid, the numbers making the perilous journey to Europe today would be even higher.”