THE Tory Government has been slammed for “consciously failing” vulnerable refugees and unaccompanied children and has been urged to live up to its “moral obligation”.
SNP MP Brendan O’Hara made the call after recent figures revealed that the UK had only accepted 20 unaccompanied child refugees in two years through the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme.
Separately under the Dubs Amendment scheme, which seeks to provide a legal route for unaccompanied child refugees, the UK Government set the limit to 480 children – down from the original 3000.
The Scottish Government welcomed its 2000th Syrian refugee at the end of 2017 – meeting its target three years ahead of schedule.
O’Hara’s constituency of Argyll and Bute was one of the first Scottish local authorities to respond to the crisis as a result of the Syrian civil war. Since the end of 2015, the island has rehomed more than 24 families.
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The MP said the UK Government must adopt recommendations raised by the the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees if the UK is to take the lead in addressing the refugee crisis.
These include increasing the number of refugees resettled in the UK to at least 10,000 a year and reducing the use of the Government’s detention policy of asylum seekers and refugees.
“More than two years ago the UK Government passed the Dubs Amendment, and despite capping the number, it pledged to give safe passage to 480 unaccompanied refugee children,” said O’Hara. “Today, little over half of those places have been filled. That is utterly shameful.
“We have a moral obligation to not turn our backs on vulnerable refugees and children who look to us for help. The UK Government can no longer turn a blind eye to the crisis.”
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