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Too little being done to prepare for influx of Syrian refugees, say MPs Too little being done to prepare for influx of Syrian refugees, say MPs
(about 14 hours later)
Insufficient preparations are being made to accommodate the 20,000 Syrian refugees the government has pledged to resettle in the UK over the next five years, the home affairs committee has said.Insufficient preparations are being made to accommodate the 20,000 Syrian refugees the government has pledged to resettle in the UK over the next five years, the home affairs committee has said.
MPs cautioned the government that refusing to reveal how many people have already arrived and discouraging members of the public from offering accommodation or support will only make any potential housing bottlenecks worse.MPs cautioned the government that refusing to reveal how many people have already arrived and discouraging members of the public from offering accommodation or support will only make any potential housing bottlenecks worse.
The report, on the routine work of the immigration directorate, signals growing political anxiety about the government’s capacity to respond to the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East.The report, on the routine work of the immigration directorate, signals growing political anxiety about the government’s capacity to respond to the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East.
Related: Syrian refugee crisis: why has it become so bad?Related: Syrian refugee crisis: why has it become so bad?
While welcoming the decision to provide asylum to Syrians fleeing the conflict in their country, Keith Vaz, the committee chair, said: “In the last 10 years, the highest number of refugees resettled in the UK in any one year is 1,039 in 2012.While welcoming the decision to provide asylum to Syrians fleeing the conflict in their country, Keith Vaz, the committee chair, said: “In the last 10 years, the highest number of refugees resettled in the UK in any one year is 1,039 in 2012.
“The pledge to resettle 4,000 a year is the equivalent of 333 people a month, almost 400% more than the highest recorded figure. This is a huge change in the scale of refugee resettlement undertaken by the UK and we are concerned about our real level of preparedness and ability to increase capacity to manage such numbers at short notice.”“The pledge to resettle 4,000 a year is the equivalent of 333 people a month, almost 400% more than the highest recorded figure. This is a huge change in the scale of refugee resettlement undertaken by the UK and we are concerned about our real level of preparedness and ability to increase capacity to manage such numbers at short notice.”
The refusal to reveal how many Syrian refugees have arrived undermines parliament’s ability to scrutinise progress, Vaz added. “This summer, the refugee crisis reached an unimaginable scale. The generosity of the British public in offers of assistance and even space in their homes has not been accepted by ministers. This should be reconsidered.The refusal to reveal how many Syrian refugees have arrived undermines parliament’s ability to scrutinise progress, Vaz added. “This summer, the refugee crisis reached an unimaginable scale. The generosity of the British public in offers of assistance and even space in their homes has not been accepted by ministers. This should be reconsidered.
“Housing is likely to be one of the most difficult issues and it may be that, properly organised and supported, offers of private accommodation will be a helpful, viable and perhaps essential part of the solution,” he said.“Housing is likely to be one of the most difficult issues and it may be that, properly organised and supported, offers of private accommodation will be a helpful, viable and perhaps essential part of the solution,” he said.
The committee called for a clear statement on how Syrian refugees will be received. “The government should do more to explore how members of the public can help provide that ongoing support in particular in the provision of housing which is likely to be one of the bottlenecks on where refugees will be able to be resettled,” stated the report.The committee called for a clear statement on how Syrian refugees will be received. “The government should do more to explore how members of the public can help provide that ongoing support in particular in the provision of housing which is likely to be one of the bottlenecks on where refugees will be able to be resettled,” stated the report.
In relation to immigration procedures in general, the report deplored the growing backlog of immigration cases at the Home Office which stands at around a third of a million – “greater than the combined populations of Reading and Oxford”.In relation to immigration procedures in general, the report deplored the growing backlog of immigration cases at the Home Office which stands at around a third of a million – “greater than the combined populations of Reading and Oxford”.
Related: Housing associations can help keep refugees off the streetsRelated: Housing associations can help keep refugees off the streets
Vaz said: “To run a credible immigration and asylum system, the Home Office must once and for all tackle the historical backlog of cases and deal with those that arrive in a timely and efficient way. This undermines confidence in the system and should be addressed immediately.”Vaz said: “To run a credible immigration and asylum system, the Home Office must once and for all tackle the historical backlog of cases and deal with those that arrive in a timely and efficient way. This undermines confidence in the system and should be addressed immediately.”
An increase in the number of children being detained for immigration purposes is also a cause for particular concern, said the MPs. In the second quarter of the year, 38 children entered immigration detention.An increase in the number of children being detained for immigration purposes is also a cause for particular concern, said the MPs. In the second quarter of the year, 38 children entered immigration detention.
“It is unacceptable that after the government said it would stop placing children in detention, and there were signs that it was maintaining very low figures throughout 2014, there was then a sudden increase at the beginning of 2015,” Vaz said.“It is unacceptable that after the government said it would stop placing children in detention, and there were signs that it was maintaining very low figures throughout 2014, there was then a sudden increase at the beginning of 2015,” Vaz said.
“The government should explain why, at the beginning of 2015, there was a sudden increase in the number of children being detained for immigration purposes, and why the proportion being held for longer than three days has also increased.”“The government should explain why, at the beginning of 2015, there was a sudden increase in the number of children being detained for immigration purposes, and why the proportion being held for longer than three days has also increased.”
Richard Harrington, the minister for Syrian Refugees, said later that the UK had been “at the forefront” of the global response to the Syrian crisis. It was providing more than £1.12bn in humanitarian aid, and had taken in almost 5,000 refugees and asylum seekers since 2011.
“As the prime minister has said, we intend to resettle 1,000 Syrians through our expanded Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) by Christmas and we have already welcomed and successfully resettled a number of vulnerable people who were in desperate need of our help,” he said in a statement.
“The home secretary has said we will establish a register of those who can provide houses for refugees and we will develop a community sponsorship scheme, like those in Canada and Australia, to allow individuals, charities, faith groups, churches and businesses to support people directly.
“The scale of the expansion needs careful planning to ensure we get it right, that is why we are continuing to work closely with the UNHCR, local government associations, NGOs and partner organisations in order to resettle 20,000 people by the end of this parliament.”