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Tory MPs join criticism of Amber Rudd over child refugees Tory MPs join criticism of Amber Rudd over child refugees
(35 minutes later)
MPs have said that 50 lone refugee children a day are now heading back to the “people traffickers and mud” of the Calais and Dunkirk camps as the home secretary’s decision to close the “Dubs scheme” faces growing cross-party criticism. MPs have said 50 unaccompanied child refugees a day are now heading back to the “people traffickers and mud” of the Calais and Dunkirk camps, as the home secretary’s decision to close the “Dubs scheme” faced growing cross-party criticism.
Tory MP David Burrowes was among those who criticised the government’s decision to close the scheme to bring unaccompanied child refugees in Europe to the UK after only 350 arrivals. . The Tory MP David Burrowes was among those who criticised the government’s decision to close the scheme to bring unaccompanied child refugees in Europe to the UK after only 350 arrivals. .
Accusing ministers of having “cut and run from child refugees”, he said that when MPs and peers voted to set up the scheme last May “parliament did not intend to set a time a limit on our compassion for vulnerable child refugees in Europe”.Accusing ministers of having “cut and run from child refugees”, he said that when MPs and peers voted to set up the scheme last May “parliament did not intend to set a time a limit on our compassion for vulnerable child refugees in Europe”.
A second Conservative, Will Quince, the MP for Colchester, said he was “sad and disappointed” by the decision and questioned whether ministers had powers to require local councils to take more unaccompanied child refugees.A second Conservative, Will Quince, the MP for Colchester, said he was “sad and disappointed” by the decision and questioned whether ministers had powers to require local councils to take more unaccompanied child refugees.
The home secretary, Amber Rudd, answering an urgent Commons question from Labour’s Yvette Cooper, tried to defend the decision to end the government’s commitment to the scheme, saying: “We do not want to incentivise journeys to Europe.”The home secretary, Amber Rudd, answering an urgent Commons question from Labour’s Yvette Cooper, tried to defend the decision to end the government’s commitment to the scheme, saying: “We do not want to incentivise journeys to Europe.”
She said the Dubs scheme had not yet closed and ministers had fulfilled their obligation to assess the capacity of local authorities to provide places for the children. “We have done that,” she said. “It is still not closed yet because we still have to transfer 150 under the amendment. We have done what we are obliged to do and put a number on how many will come.”She said the Dubs scheme had not yet closed and ministers had fulfilled their obligation to assess the capacity of local authorities to provide places for the children. “We have done that,” she said. “It is still not closed yet because we still have to transfer 150 under the amendment. We have done what we are obliged to do and put a number on how many will come.”
A total of just 350 will be helped under the scheme, which campaigners had hoped would help 3,000 children. MPs said that if the scheme wasn’t being closed it was certainly being “capped and discontinued”. A total of just 350 will be helped under a scheme that campaigners had hoped would help 3,000 children. MPs said that if the scheme was not being closed it was certainly being “capped and discontinued”.
But the home secretary also claimed that the Dubs scheme was “acting as a magnet for the people traffickers” and was the reason why lone refugee children were making their way back to Calais once again in the belief they could get to Britain.But the home secretary also claimed that the Dubs scheme was “acting as a magnet for the people traffickers” and was the reason why lone refugee children were making their way back to Calais once again in the belief they could get to Britain.
“I am clear that when working with my French counterparts they do not want us to indefinitely continue to accept children under the Dubs amendment because they specify, and I agree with them, that it acts as a draw. It acts as a pull. It encourages the people traffickers,” said Rudd.“I am clear that when working with my French counterparts they do not want us to indefinitely continue to accept children under the Dubs amendment because they specify, and I agree with them, that it acts as a draw. It acts as a pull. It encourages the people traffickers,” said Rudd.
She argued that lone child refugees in the camps in Lebanon and Jordan were more vulnerable than those in Europe and were more deserving of resettlement to the UK.She argued that lone child refugees in the camps in Lebanon and Jordan were more vulnerable than those in Europe and were more deserving of resettlement to the UK.
But Labour’s Stella Creasy told MPs it was estimated that 50 refugee children a day were now arriving back in Calais to “sleep in mud and cold because the UK and French governments appear to be in a game of chicken as to who will take responsibility for them.”But Labour’s Stella Creasy told MPs it was estimated that 50 refugee children a day were now arriving back in Calais to “sleep in mud and cold because the UK and French governments appear to be in a game of chicken as to who will take responsibility for them.”
She added in a Facebook post: “We all said Donald trump wrong to ban refugees and yet not a week later Britain abandoning the most vulnerable kids, claiming somehow it’s a pull factor to offer those fleeing persecution sanctuary. Lots of unhappy Tory MPs too but now needs public to speak out and tell the government Britain is better than this.” She added in a Facebook post: “We all said Donald Trump wrong to ban refugees and yet not a week later Britain abandoning the most vulnerable kids, claiming somehow it’s a pull factor to offer those fleeing persecution sanctuary. Lots of unhappy Tory MPs too but now needs public to speak out and tell the government Britain is better than this.”
Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, asked her opposite number: “Can the secretary of state tell me ... how does she live with herself, leaving thousands of children subject to disease, people trafficking, squalor and hopelessness?” Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, asked her opposite number: “Can the secretary of state tell me … how does she live with herself, leaving thousands of children subject to disease, people trafficking, squalor and hopelessness?”
The Dubs amendment was passed last May amid widespread public outrage over the scale of the European refugee crisis which had reached Britain’s doorstep. David Cameron agreed that “more can be done” in the face of all-party campaign to help 3,000 lone refugee children in the camps of Greece, Italy and France. The Dubs amendment was passed last May amid widespread public outrage over the scale of the European refugee crisis. David Cameron agreed that “more can be done” in the face of all-party campaign to help 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees in the camps of Greece, Italy and France.
Cooper, the chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, said that thousands of lone refugee children were at risk in the camps in Greece and Italy. She told Rudd that it was never parliament’s intention “to turn our backs on child refugees”. Cooper, the chair of the Commons home affairs committee, said thousands of children were at risk in the camps in Greece and Italy. She told Rudd it had never been parliament’s intention “to turn our backs on child refugees”.
She said that many councils were willing to take more child refugees from within Europe if they were given more time and resources and warned that refugee children in France were now heading back to the “mud and the people traffickers” of the camps in Calais and Dunkirk. “Britain can do better than this; will she accept that and reinstate the Dubs programme now?” she asked the home secretary directly. She said many councils were willing to take more child refugees from within Europe if they were given more time and resources. “Britain can do better than this; will she accept that and reinstate the Dubs programme now?” she asked the home secretary directly.
Lord Dubs said on the day his amendment setting up the scheme was passed last year Theresa May had personally told him she accepted his amendment and the then immigration minister told him the government would “accept the letter and the spirit of the amendment. The government is in breach of its own commitments,” he told the House of Lords. Dubs said on the day his amendment setting up the scheme was passed last year that Theresa May had personally told him she accepted his amendment and the then immigration minister had told him the government would “accept the letter and the spirit of the amendment”. “The government is in breach of its own commitments,” he told the House of Lords.