AN influential UK parliamentary committee has called on Theresa May to investigate the risk of child trafficking before banning child refugees from Europe.

In a report published today, the cross-party House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee said the UK Government must urgently consult on the risk before making any changes to the Dubs scheme.

The call comes in response to the government’s controversial announcement in early February that it intended to limit the number of children who would be accepted into the UK under the scheme to 350 – 200 of whom had already arrived.

This number was far lower than the government’s original commitment, but it was claimed local authorities had only 350 places under the scheme.

However, the committee heard from local councils that more capacity was available and that if further funding was provided, they could provide up to a further 4,000 places.

The government said another reason for its decision on the Dubs scheme was because it was acting as “a pull” that “encourages the people traffickers”. However, the committee heard evidence from organisations including Unicef and Save the Children that closing the Dubs scheme would increase the risk of child trafficking and exploitation.

At the same time the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner described the Dubs scheme as “an important, safe, legal route for unaccompanied refugee children” which had given sanctuary to children who had previously been exploited.

“There is a big gap between what the government has said, and the evidence we heard from local councils and from organisations like Unicef who are working with child refugees,” said committee chair Yvette Cooper MP. “This is too important to get wrong when children’s lives and futures are at risk. That’s why we are making these urgent interim recommendations now.

“Ministers have said that they need to end the Dubs scheme in order to prevent trafficking, but Save the Children and others have said this will make child trafficking, abuse and exploitation worse. That’s why we have called on the government to consult the expert Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner on his assessment of the risks of more trafficking if the scheme ends – after all, it is his job to prevent the kind of abuse and slavery we are all worried about.

“We also want ministers to publish all the council offers of help they have had, and to find out how many more children they could take in the next financial year.”

In response to the report, the SNP warned Theresa May that public and parliamentary pressure on the UK Government to resettle unaccompanied child refugees will not go away.

“The UK Government must immediately halt its shameful decision to end transfers under the Dubs scheme," said Stuart McDonald MP, SNP spokesperson on Immigration, Asylum and Border Control and SNP member of the Home Affairs Select Committee. "These are some of the most vulnerable children in the world and it is our duty to protect them. SNP MPs will not allow Tory ministers to put aside our values and shirk our responsibilities – this is about basic decency.

“The UK Government’s reluctance to act throughout the refugee crisis has been a cause for embarrassment – we certainly are not willing to let them roll back on the relatively weak commitments that they have made. As cross-party pressure grows we will continue to urge the UK Government to maintain the Dubs scheme and step up its resettlement efforts.”

SNP Westminster Leader Angus Robertson wrote to the Prime Minister last monthon February 17 calling for an urgent meeting to discuss the UK Government’s commitment to child refugees, but his request has so far been blanked.