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To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to implement
their commitment to bring 480 unaccompanied child refugees
from Europe to the United Kingdom.
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The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Williams of
Trafford) (Con)
My Lords, the Government are committed to transferring a
specified number of eligible children to the UK under Section
67 of the Immigration Act 2016 as part of our broader
response to the migration crisis. All transfers need to take
place in line with member states’ national laws. Last year,
we transferred over 200 children under the scheme. We have
accepted further referrals in recent weeks and we expect
children to arrive in the UK in the coming weeks.
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(Lab)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that the figure of 200 to
date is disappointing? If that is the fault of the Greek,
Italian and French authorities, that is very disappointing.
If it is the fault of the British Government, it is shocking.
Which is it?
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My Lords, first, I say to the noble Lord that we continue to
work with our partners in Europe under the scheme to transfer
children where we can. However, as he will know and as I have
said to the House before, we cannot just go into countries
and take children. It might be helpful to explain the broader
context in which we operate. In 2016 the UK settled more
refugees from outside Europe than any other EU state.
According to Eurostat figures, over a third of people
resettled in the EU came to the UK. We have granted asylum or
another form of leave to over 9,000 children in the past
year—over 42,000 since 2010.
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(CB)
My Lords, what are the Government doing about children who
have a right under the Dublin III agreement, particularly in
the Calais and Dunkirk areas?
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My Lords, we continue to work with the French Government to
ensure that those children are also transferred.
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(LD)
My Lords, the UK’s homegrown family reunion rules, as it
were, are much narrower than the Dublin III convention in
that families are defined much more narrowly—limited to
parents under the UK’s rules. What will happen to the Dublin
III convention when we leave the EU?
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My Lords, when we leave the EU the Dublin convention will
need to be reassessed under our own laws. Noble Lords will
appreciate that this country has been a welcoming and safe
haven for refugees and asylum seekers over the years—I have
just given the staggering figure of more than 42,000 children
since 2010—and we will continue to meet our commitment to
those who need our help.
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(CB)
My Lords, does the Minister accept that there has been a
major problem in Europe with unaccompanied children going
missing, a subject about which I have written to her on
numerous occasions? Does she also accept that, in the context
of Dublin III and whatever may come next, we should at least
look at the right of unaccompanied children to go to the
nearest embassy or consulate in order to register their
interest in reunification, rather than having to travel miles
from anywhere in order to go through that process?
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I agree with the noble Lord that we remain concerned about
unaccompanied children across Europe. It is pleasing that in
recent months, through our assistance, as well as financial
assistance from across the EU, the EU relocation scheme has
been far more firmly established. We will continue to work
with our EU partners on the plight of children.
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(Lab)
In considering applications for asylum, will the Government
pay particular and sensitive attention to children from
minority religious groups, such as Yazidis and Christians,
who in many cases, regrettably, face as much threat of
persecution within the camps as they did within the countries
they were forced to leave?
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The noble Lord raises an important point, as has my noble
friend Lady Berridge in the past in regard to the Yazidis and
the Christians. We have widened the vulnerable persons
resettlement scheme in the region. Ultimately, the best way
to safeguard these groups is to establish lasting peace in
the region, and that means defeating Daesh, promoting a
peaceful transition in Syria and helping to deliver political
reform and reconciliation in Iraq.
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(CB)
My Lords—
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(Lab)
My Lords, along with many others I met a group of young
teenage boys who had survived the capsize of a boat in the
Mediterranean and will live with the image—
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Noble Lords
Order!
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The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Evans of Bowes Park)
My Lords, we will hear from the Cross Benches.
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My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that the Government
are to be congratulated on the large number of child refugees
they have taken? Does she further agree that we need to
proceed with care in that if we take refugee children who
have already arrived in Europe, we will tempt other families
to send their children off at great risk? It is a much better
course to do what the Government are doing: take them from
the region itself and deal with Christians in a fair and
sensible way.
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I totally agree with the noble Lord and I am very proud of
what we have done. We have done better than any other EU
state in taking people from outside Europe. In addition, the
noble Lord referred to what I think he described as the pull
factor to Europe. The sums involved in helping people in the
region are staggering. For what it would cost to help 3,000
people here, we could help 800,000 in the region. Those
figures are worth bearing in mind.
