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Lord Dubs calls on UK to urgently intervene to help child refugees Lord Dubs calls on UK to urgently intervene to help child refugees
(about 1 hour later)
Peer involved in aiding minors in Calais in 2016 takes up cause of children stranded in GreecePeer involved in aiding minors in Calais in 2016 takes up cause of children stranded in Greece
The Labour peer who shamed ministers into opening Britain’s borders to children trapped in the Calais refugee camp four years ago is hoping to do the same for minors stuck in overcrowded and dangerous camps on Greek islands.The Labour peer who shamed ministers into opening Britain’s borders to children trapped in the Calais refugee camp four years ago is hoping to do the same for minors stuck in overcrowded and dangerous camps on Greek islands.
Lord Dubs has asked the government to urgently intervene and give sanctuary to children who have arrived in the camps without parents.Lord Dubs has asked the government to urgently intervene and give sanctuary to children who have arrived in the camps without parents.
The veteran campaigner failed to secure a pledge from the government in the House of Lords on Wednesday that unaccompanied children could enter the UK under its planned “global settlement scheme” for refugees, but said he was determined to continue to press the cause.The veteran campaigner failed to secure a pledge from the government in the House of Lords on Wednesday that unaccompanied children could enter the UK under its planned “global settlement scheme” for refugees, but said he was determined to continue to press the cause.
In an urgent question in the Lords, Dubs spoke of “the terrible conditions affecting refugees, especially child refugees” and the request by the Greek government last November for help from all countries in the EU.In an urgent question in the Lords, Dubs spoke of “the terrible conditions affecting refugees, especially child refugees” and the request by the Greek government last November for help from all countries in the EU.
The government spokeswoman, Lady Williams, declined to give the specific answer he was seeking, but pledged that the UK “absolutely will stand by our commitment to help children from around the world that need our help”.The government spokeswoman, Lady Williams, declined to give the specific answer he was seeking, but pledged that the UK “absolutely will stand by our commitment to help children from around the world that need our help”.
Dubs and others have expressed deep concern about the deteriorating conditions in the camps.Dubs and others have expressed deep concern about the deteriorating conditions in the camps.
The chief executive of the charity Safe Passage, Beth Gardiner-Smith, said: “Today the government failed to provide concrete assurances that child refugees in Greece will be eligible for places under the global resettlement scheme, despite it being set up for the very purpose of helping the most vulnerable refugees.The chief executive of the charity Safe Passage, Beth Gardiner-Smith, said: “Today the government failed to provide concrete assurances that child refugees in Greece will be eligible for places under the global resettlement scheme, despite it being set up for the very purpose of helping the most vulnerable refugees.
“What is happening on the islands is a humanitarian catastrophe, with children at immediate and extreme risk of disease, hunger and even death. The government must stop dodging the issue, and start using the global resettlement scheme to bring children to safety.”“What is happening on the islands is a humanitarian catastrophe, with children at immediate and extreme risk of disease, hunger and even death. The government must stop dodging the issue, and start using the global resettlement scheme to bring children to safety.”
Lord Kerr told the House of Lords that a number of other EU countries had agreed to take the “newly trapped” migrants who had arrived in Greece, and demanded to know what the UK response had been.Lord Kerr told the House of Lords that a number of other EU countries had agreed to take the “newly trapped” migrants who had arrived in Greece, and demanded to know what the UK response had been.
Williams said the government was “in dialogue” with Greece. It is understood that this is in relation to unaccompanied children being transferred to the UK under the so-called Dubs amendment, which allows minors entry if they have a family member in the country.Williams said the government was “in dialogue” with Greece. It is understood that this is in relation to unaccompanied children being transferred to the UK under the so-called Dubs amendment, which allows minors entry if they have a family member in the country.
She said that the UK had taken more children in than any other country and would be laying out its plans on future arrangements for unaccompanied minors on 22 March. She said the UK would continue to take refugees referred by the UN refugee agency but that the Greek authorities had stopped identifying children for relocation because of the coronavirus outbreak.She said that the UK had taken more children in than any other country and would be laying out its plans on future arrangements for unaccompanied minors on 22 March. She said the UK would continue to take refugees referred by the UN refugee agency but that the Greek authorities had stopped identifying children for relocation because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Dubs, who was himself a child refugee, made the intervention 24 hours after the SNP’s justice spokeswoman, Joanna Cherry, demanded to know what the UK government was going to do to help child refugees. “The situation for unaccompanied child refugees in Greece couldn’t be worse specially on the islands. Baroness Williams did not concede anything of substance apart from her reference to UNHCR. I’ll keep pressing the government on this,” Dubs, who was himself a child refugee, said afterwards.
His intervention in the Lords came 24 hours after the SNP’s justice spokeswoman, Joanna Cherry, demanded to know what the UK government was going to do to help child refugees.
Charities have warned that the dire conditions in Lesbos, which hosts more than 20,000 people in overcrowded, filthy camps, will make it difficult for traumatised children to recover.Charities have warned that the dire conditions in Lesbos, which hosts more than 20,000 people in overcrowded, filthy camps, will make it difficult for traumatised children to recover.
There are believed to be more than 1,800 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children on the five islands of Lesbos, Samos, Kos, Chios and Leros, where 42,000 people are crammed into refugee camps designed for 5,400.There are believed to be more than 1,800 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children on the five islands of Lesbos, Samos, Kos, Chios and Leros, where 42,000 people are crammed into refugee camps designed for 5,400.
Tensions in Greece and in the camps have risen over the past fortnight as about 35,000 people massed at Turkey’s borders with the EU after the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, broke a 2016 pact under which Brussels promised to pay €6bn (£5.3bn) in return for Ankara curbing migration flows.Tensions in Greece and in the camps have risen over the past fortnight as about 35,000 people massed at Turkey’s borders with the EU after the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, broke a 2016 pact under which Brussels promised to pay €6bn (£5.3bn) in return for Ankara curbing migration flows.