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| Tory peer Lord Howe calls for Syrian refugee rethink | Tory peer Lord Howe calls for Syrian refugee rethink |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A government minister has joined calls for the UK to consider taking refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria. | A government minister has joined calls for the UK to consider taking refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria. |
| The government has no plans to accept Syrian refugees and says it is better to offer financial help. | The government has no plans to accept Syrian refugees and says it is better to offer financial help. |
| But Tory health minister Lord Howe said people were in desperate need and the EU should look at accommodating some. | But Tory health minister Lord Howe said people were in desperate need and the EU should look at accommodating some. |
| UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage and former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell have made similar calls in recent days. | |
| Lord Howe said: "I think we have got to look at this urgently. There are people in desperate need, we cannot accommodate them all. | Lord Howe said: "I think we have got to look at this urgently. There are people in desperate need, we cannot accommodate them all. |
| "I think the European Union has a duty to look at what it can do, both on the ground for those refugees from Syria but also whether we can accommodate some of them," he told BBC Radio's 5 live Breakfast. | "I think the European Union has a duty to look at what it can do, both on the ground for those refugees from Syria but also whether we can accommodate some of them," he told BBC Radio's 5 live Breakfast. |
| "I certainly think we should look at this and we have in the past been a country that looks kindly on people in distress and are the victims of violence in their native countries and that should not change." | "I certainly think we should look at this and we have in the past been a country that looks kindly on people in distress and are the victims of violence in their native countries and that should not change." |
| On Sunday, Mr Farage suggested Western countries should agree to take an allocation of refugees but did not specify numbers. | On Sunday, Mr Farage suggested Western countries should agree to take an allocation of refugees but did not specify numbers. |
| He has led opposition to allowing open immigration from Romania and Bulgaria in the new year but said refugees were a "very different thing". | He has led opposition to allowing open immigration from Romania and Bulgaria in the new year but said refugees were a "very different thing". |
| Last week, Sir Menzies said it would be "entirely reasonable for the UK to take its share of responsibility for refugees". | Last week, Sir Menzies said it would be "entirely reasonable for the UK to take its share of responsibility for refugees". |
| Conservative MP Mark Pritchard said he expected the government would change its mind - either "willingly or unwillingly". | Conservative MP Mark Pritchard said he expected the government would change its mind - either "willingly or unwillingly". |
| In a report released earlier this month, Amnesty International accused European Union leaders of "miserably failing" to provide a safe haven to Syrians. | In a report released earlier this month, Amnesty International accused European Union leaders of "miserably failing" to provide a safe haven to Syrians. |
| Ten member states have offered to take in refugees and only 12,000 people, it said. | Ten member states have offered to take in refugees and only 12,000 people, it said. |
| The UK government said while it had no plans to resettle or provide temporary protection to Syrian refugees, it was giving "as much help as possible" to people in the region and its £500m pledge was "more than the other EU member states combined". | The UK government said while it had no plans to resettle or provide temporary protection to Syrian refugees, it was giving "as much help as possible" to people in the region and its £500m pledge was "more than the other EU member states combined". |
| It said more than 1,100 Syrian nationals had been granted asylum in the year up to September and asylum claims would be considered "on their merits and in line with the immigration rules". | It said more than 1,100 Syrian nationals had been granted asylum in the year up to September and asylum claims would be considered "on their merits and in line with the immigration rules". |