Government to close the door on child refugees

In a written statement, Home Office minister Robert Goodwill announced that a government scheme known as the Dub’s Amendment, was to stop at the end of March having taken just 350 children.

Last year, the Government had indicated the number allowed to come into the UK would be closer to 3000.

The route into the UK was designed by Labour peer Lord Dubs, who was himself a lone child refugee.

After initial resistance, ministers accepted the Dubs amendment when it looked like they might face a sizeable rebellion from their own backbenchers.

Dubs had initially suggested 3000 children, but in a bid to compromise allowed his amendment to the Immigration Act 2016 to go through without a figure. The then immigration minister James Brokenshire had reportedly told MPs the government wanted to place thousands of the lone children in the UK.

In Wednesday’s statement, Goodwill said 200 children had already arrived and a further 150 children would follow before the scheme ended in March.

A further 700 unaccompanied children had arrived in the UK under separate EU-wide rules designed to reunite families.

Separately, the UK has also settled 4400 individuals directly from Middle East camps under an international programme to help displaced Syrians, half of whom are children.

Responding to the decision, Lord Dubs said: “At a time when Donald Trump is banning refugees from America, it would be shameful if the UK followed suit by closing down this route to sanctuary for unaccompanied children just months after it was opened.”

“During the Kindertransport, Sir Nicky Winton rescued 669 children from Nazi persecution virtually single-handedly. I was one of those lucky ones. It would be a terrible betrayal of his legacy if as a country we were unable to do more than this to help a new generation of child refugees.”

The Government look set to face a legal challenge from charities over the planned closure.

Judith Dennis, policy manager at the Refugee Council said: “The Government’s job is far from done; the global refugee crisis hasn’t gone away and if anything it’s getting worse.

“The UK needs to step up rather than step back and ensure that we pull our weight by offering refuge to more vulnerable people and enabling more refugees to reunite with their families here.”

The Home Office put the blame at the door of Britain’s councils.

“Local authorities told us they have capacity for around 400 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children until the end of this financial year,” the minister said.

He added: “We are grateful for the way in which local authorities have stepped up to provide places for those arriving and we will continue to work closely to address capacity needs.”

By the end of 2015 there were around 90,000 unaccompanied migrant children in Europe, displaced and alone. Many had fled war and violence in Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Iraq. Some had lost parents during the journey to Europe.

Yvette Cooper, the chair of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, who was heavily involved in the campaign, said the decision was against the spirit in which parliament had backed the amendment. “To close the programme that helps lone child refugees after helping only 350 children is completely wrong,” she said. “The Dubs amendment was designed to help the most vulnerable child refugees of all. Dubs was never time-limited and the government said they would abide by both the word and the spirit of the amendment. No one ever suggested we would only help children for a few months then turn our backs, especially when the global refugee crisis shows no sign of abating. Whatever happened to the government’s commitment to ending modern slavery and trafficking?”