A SENIOR official at the United Nations yesterday called on the UK Government to double the amount of refugees it currently takes in under resettlement programmes.
Assistant commissioner at the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Volker Turk, said accepting around 10,000 refugees a year would be a “step change” for the UK.
He added there was a need for countries all over the globe to step up and take notice of the continuing crisis.
Speaking in London after negotiations with UK ministers, Turk said he was hopeful the Government’s response would be “significantly” expanded after 2020.
The Government has committed to take in 20,000 refugees by 2020 under a scheme set up to cover people fleeing the Syrian conflict, with 5453 granted humanitarian protection under the programme in the year ending March 2017, and 3000 vulnerable children and family members.
Last week it emerged that Scotland welcomed more than a quarter of all Syrian refugees who have arrived in the UK in the past two years. More than 7000 refugees have arrived in Britain through the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme since 2015. Of those, 1800 have settled north of the Border.
“Scotland has a long history of welcoming refugees and asylum seekers from all over the world,” said Scottish Government Equalities Secretary Angela Constance .
“We have welcomed over 1800 refugees through the Syrian resettlement programme — nearly a quarter of all those who have come to the UK according to the latest Home Office statistics.
“We have always said that Scotland will do everything we can to help in this humanitarian crisis and we agree with the UN that the UK Government can and should do more.”
UK Immigration Minister, Brandon Lewis defended Britain’s record, saying it had resettled more refugees than any other country in the EU.
“We have pledged to resettle up to 3000 vulnerable children and family members from the Middle East and North Africa as well as 20,000 Syrians by 2020,” he added. “The Government will consider options post-2020 in due course”.
“We are clear that we do not want to incentivise perilous journeys to Europe, particularly by the most vulnerable. That is why we have invested significantly in the region to address humanitarian needs and reduce migratory flows.”
Turk also hit out at “irresponsible” rhetoric from Western politicians. He praised the response of British communities which have received refugees, but also urged the Government to do more to end detention of asylum seekers.
Turk said he wanted to see “significant numbers” of refugees offered the chance of a new life in the UK after 2020, with a resettlement programme open to people fleeing trouble spots around the world, not just Syria.
Following his talks with UK ministers, he said: “We had good discussions about possible ideas about what can be done post-2020 and the Government is open to discussing this and to learn the lessons from what is ongoing at the moment.
“We hope there will be a regular resettlement programme by Britain past 2020 in significant numbers.”
He added: “It would be a step change, it would not just be related to Syria. It would look at where the urgent situations are, to have a certain flexibility in responding to them.
“I think we have to be very honest about the need for countries to contribute and to step Turk then praised the response of local communities in the UK which had already received refugees and said some rural areas had been “revived” by the new arrivals, adding that he was “very encouraged by the reaction in Britain, by communities at grassroots level”.
“I’m so amazed when I hear about rural areas in Britain that actually they are so happy that people come to them and it almost revives parts of Britain,” he said.
“I see this also in Britain and I don’t think we hear enough about these positive examples,” he said.
A “whole of society” approach was needed to address the challenges, he said.
“It’s about attitudes, it’s about engagement, it’s about understanding towards the plight of people who end up — because of conflict, because of war, because of persecution — in a situation of distress.
“Britain has a long history of asylum and sanctuary.
“That tradition is absolutely key and it will involve whole communities.”
“You have the impression that some of the negativity is amplified but we forget about all the positive things that are happening,” he added.
Turk also hit out at emotionally-charged subjects sometimes being used for short-term political gains.
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