Cameron In Climbdown On Syria Child Refugees

David Cameron has climbed down on his refusal to take refugee children from European camps saying we will "see what more we can do".

The Prime Minister said the Government would "go around local authorities" to see if the UK could take more children from the camps in Europe following increasing pressure over the issue, including from his own backbenchers.

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron said Britain already took some vulnerable children from Calais who had a family connection but the Government would now go beyond this to take child refugees from Europe.

He added that the Government was in talks with the charity Save the Children on how to help unaccompanied children in European camps.

Mr Cameron said he would not send back the new amendment by Lord Dubs to accept Syrian refugee children from Europe because it no longer gave a specific number.

MPs in the House of Commons narrowly rejected the first Dubs amendment last week, which said the UK should take 3,000 unaccompanied children.

However, the Prime Minister made it clear he will stick to the principle that no "new arrivals" to Europe following the EU-Turkey pact would be taken by the UK because he did not want to encourage people to make the journey.

Asked about the timetable about bringing children to the UK, Mr Cameron said he hoped it would be "this year".

But he added: "What I don't want us to do is to take steps that will encourage people to make this dangerous journey because otherwise our actions, however well-meaning they will be, could result in more people dying than more people getting a good life."

He added: "We are going to go round the local authorities and see what more we can do, but let's stick to the principle that we should not be taking new arrivals from Europe."

Mr Cameron said it was wrong to compare the situation with the Kindertransport helping Jewish children to flee Nazi-occupied Germany.

Responding to the about turn, Lord Dubs, who fled the Nazis to come to the UK, said: "I welcome the Government's decision, as it will help ease the plight of some of the unaccompanied child refugees in Europe.

"I trust the Prime Minister will be true to his word and move swiftly to ensure the Home Office works closely with local authorities to find foster families to give these young people a stable and secure home."

Under the "new initiative", the UK will take unaccompanied children from France, Italy and Greece registered in Europe before 20 March, when the EU-Turkey pact came into force.