Yahoo Finance Govt Could Soften Stance On Child Refugees
The Chancellor has hinted the Government is preparing to back down on its stance on taking Syrian child refugees from camps in Europe.
George Osborne said that the Government was in discussions, suggesting movement on the issue could come soon, after increasing pressure on the Prime Minister over the subject, including from his own backbenchers.
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire will meet some 30 Tory rebels on Wednesday to discuss the proposals to take unaccompanied children from European camps and Sky News has learned there could be an announcement by the weekend.
An urgent question on the subject will be heard in the House of Commons after Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
Mr Cameron had agreed to take 3,000 mainly unaccompanied children from camps in the Syrian region but refused to take them from camps in Europe, saying it would act as a magnet.
Mr Osborne said: "Britain has always been a home to the vulnerable and we've always done what we need to do to help people who are fleeing persecution, that's why we are taking people from the refugee camps as a result of this terrible Syrian civil war.
"And we're working with others, with charities, with other political parties talking to people about what we can do to help the unaccompanied children as well - where we're already providing financial support.
"So we're in those discussions and those discussions will go on and you'll hear what we've got to say in due course."
It comes after Sir Erich Reich, chairman of Kindertransport-Association of Jewish Refugees, urged the Prime Minister to "demonstrate compassion".
Sir Erich, who was one of the 10,000 children sent from Nazi-occupied Europe to the UK before the start of the Second World War, said: "I strongly urge you and your colleagues to reconsider how we can intervene to help some of the most vulnerable victims of an internecine conflict that has claimed the lives of thousands of people and displaced millions.
"The echoes of the past haunt many of my fellow Kinder and I whose fate similarly rested with members of the British parliament.
"I feel it is incumbent on us to once again demonstrate our compassion and human-kindness to provide sanctuary to those in need."
Sir Erich arrived in the UK in August 1939 and never saw his parents again.
Yvette Cooper, who chairs Labour's refugee task force, challenged Mr Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions last week after the Lord Dubs amendment, which would have seen children taken from European camps, was defeated.
She said: "We were promised a few weeks ago that the Government would make concessions, but in the end they only re-announced the same help for refugees outside Europe.
"That won't be good enough this time. We need to see real action to help child refugees who are at risk of abuse, exploitation and trafficking within Europe.
"So far, ministers have only ever announced increased support when under serious political pressure - we will keep this up until next week's vote."
The UK has already agreed to take 20,000 Syrian refugees from camps in the Syrian region – as well as the 3,000 children.
