Syrian refugees: Labour to press government to accept UN programme
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper says government should sign up to take full quota of refugees, not just up to 500
- UK agrees to take up to 500 of 'most vulnerable' Syrian refugees
- Poll: should Britain take in more Syrian refugees?
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper says government should sign up to take full quota of refugees, not just up to 500
Syrian children in a
refugee camp in Iraq. Theresa May is expected to tell MPs that Britain
has reached a deal with the UNHCR to provide refuge for some of those
most traumatised by the crisis. Photograph: Flo Smith/NurPhoto/Corbis
Labour is expected to abandon plans to table a Commons vote challenging the government's handling of Syrian refugees after Nick Clegg announced that Britain would take in hundreds of the most vulnerable victims of the civil war.
However, the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, will press ahead with a Commons debate on Wednesday following the announcement that Britain would take up to 500 refugees outside a formal UN programme. The UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) is asking western countries to take 30,000 refugees.
Cooper believes the government should sign up to the programme in the same way as Germany, which has taken 10,000 Syrian refugees. Justin Forsyth, the chief executive of Save the Children, praised the UK government announcement but added the number "should be thousands not hundreds".
Theresa May, the home secretary, is expected to tell MPs in a statement at lunchtime on Wednesday that Britain has reached an agreement with the UNHCR to provide refuge for some of those most traumatised by the crisis, such as vulnerable women and children. Britain will not take a quota proposed by the UNHCR because ministers are determined to focus resources on millions of refugees who have fled to Syria's neighbouring countries. Britain is providing £600m.
Coalition sources said no more than about 500 refugees would be permitted entry, including family members, but their precise citizenship status, determining the right of other family members to come to the UK, had yet to be agreed.
Cooper told the BBC Breakfast show on Wednesday that the government was wrong to resist signing up to the full UNHCR programme. She said: "I think it is a good thing that the government has completely reversed its position – just seven days ago they were refusing to do anything at all to help with providing sanctuary in this way. But it is slightly surprising that they are still refusing to sign up to the UN programme and to do this alongside other countries."
Her remarks came after Clegg confirmed that the government would take the most traumatised victims of the war in Syria. The deputy prime minister, who has been pressing David Cameron for a change of heart, said: "I am pleased to be able to announce that the UK will be providing refuge to some of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees. The coalition government wants to play our part in helping to alleviate the immense suffering in Syria.
"The £600m we have provided makes us the second largest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid in the world. But as the conflict continues to force millions of Syrians from their homes, we need to make sure we are doing everything we can.
"We are one of the most open-hearted countries in the world and I believe we have a moral responsibility to help.
"The UNHCR – which backs our new resettlement programme – has said the highest priority should go to women and girls who have experienced or are at risk of sexual violence; the elderly; and survivors of torture and individuals with disabilities, so that's who we'll target. Sadly, we cannot provide safety for everyone who needs it, but we can reach out to some of those who need it most."
Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrats leader, welcomed the change of heart by the government. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday: "I am delighted that the government has changed its mind because, particularly in the case of children, they have suffered grievously as a result of these terrible events in Syria. There is no fixed target – the children and others that we take will be taken depending on their need. That allows a degree of flexibility."
Brooks Newmark, the Tory MP for Braintree, said it was right to provide refuge for rape victims and children who needed medical support. But he added: "The principle of not being dictated to by third parties who tell us how many asylum seekers or immigration people we should be taking in is the right thing. Simply doing what was originally asked – which was to take 25,000, 30,000 people sort of randomly into this country – was not the right thing."
The Home Office has persistently resisted taking UN-supplied refugees, arguing that the British government is fulfilling its duties by leading the effort to supply aid to refugees in camps on the Syrian borders with Jordan and Turkey.
The home secretary has been concerned that British involvement in the UN refugee programme would become an open-ended commitment that risked undermining the Tories' commitment to reduce net migration to the UK to tens of thousands by 2015.
The prime minister moved subtly to change that target this week, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday that his government would get net migration down to "responsible levels" by the end of the parliament.
Cameron, representing in public the dominant view in the Home Office, has argued that it would let other countries off the hook over their failure to provide aid if the UK agreed to take a large number of refugees.
COPY http://www.theguardian.com/
However, the shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, will press ahead with a Commons debate on Wednesday following the announcement that Britain would take up to 500 refugees outside a formal UN programme. The UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) is asking western countries to take 30,000 refugees.
Cooper believes the government should sign up to the programme in the same way as Germany, which has taken 10,000 Syrian refugees. Justin Forsyth, the chief executive of Save the Children, praised the UK government announcement but added the number "should be thousands not hundreds".
Theresa May, the home secretary, is expected to tell MPs in a statement at lunchtime on Wednesday that Britain has reached an agreement with the UNHCR to provide refuge for some of those most traumatised by the crisis, such as vulnerable women and children. Britain will not take a quota proposed by the UNHCR because ministers are determined to focus resources on millions of refugees who have fled to Syria's neighbouring countries. Britain is providing £600m.
Coalition sources said no more than about 500 refugees would be permitted entry, including family members, but their precise citizenship status, determining the right of other family members to come to the UK, had yet to be agreed.
Cooper told the BBC Breakfast show on Wednesday that the government was wrong to resist signing up to the full UNHCR programme. She said: "I think it is a good thing that the government has completely reversed its position – just seven days ago they were refusing to do anything at all to help with providing sanctuary in this way. But it is slightly surprising that they are still refusing to sign up to the UN programme and to do this alongside other countries."
Her remarks came after Clegg confirmed that the government would take the most traumatised victims of the war in Syria. The deputy prime minister, who has been pressing David Cameron for a change of heart, said: "I am pleased to be able to announce that the UK will be providing refuge to some of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees. The coalition government wants to play our part in helping to alleviate the immense suffering in Syria.
"The £600m we have provided makes us the second largest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid in the world. But as the conflict continues to force millions of Syrians from their homes, we need to make sure we are doing everything we can.
"We are one of the most open-hearted countries in the world and I believe we have a moral responsibility to help.
"The UNHCR – which backs our new resettlement programme – has said the highest priority should go to women and girls who have experienced or are at risk of sexual violence; the elderly; and survivors of torture and individuals with disabilities, so that's who we'll target. Sadly, we cannot provide safety for everyone who needs it, but we can reach out to some of those who need it most."
Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrats leader, welcomed the change of heart by the government. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday: "I am delighted that the government has changed its mind because, particularly in the case of children, they have suffered grievously as a result of these terrible events in Syria. There is no fixed target – the children and others that we take will be taken depending on their need. That allows a degree of flexibility."
Brooks Newmark, the Tory MP for Braintree, said it was right to provide refuge for rape victims and children who needed medical support. But he added: "The principle of not being dictated to by third parties who tell us how many asylum seekers or immigration people we should be taking in is the right thing. Simply doing what was originally asked – which was to take 25,000, 30,000 people sort of randomly into this country – was not the right thing."
The Home Office has persistently resisted taking UN-supplied refugees, arguing that the British government is fulfilling its duties by leading the effort to supply aid to refugees in camps on the Syrian borders with Jordan and Turkey.
The home secretary has been concerned that British involvement in the UN refugee programme would become an open-ended commitment that risked undermining the Tories' commitment to reduce net migration to the UK to tens of thousands by 2015.
The prime minister moved subtly to change that target this week, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday that his government would get net migration down to "responsible levels" by the end of the parliament.
Cameron, representing in public the dominant view in the Home Office, has argued that it would let other countries off the hook over their failure to provide aid if the UK agreed to take a large number of refugees.
COPY http://www.theguardian.com/
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