Child Refugees Urgent Question

:00:11. > :00:22.Urgent question. Eva Cooper. I would ask the home Secretary to m`ke a

:00:23. > :00:30.statement on the child refugees in Europe. Thank you Mr Speaker. The

:00:31. > :00:35.government is at the forefront of the international response to the

:00:36. > :00:44.unprecedented migration flows into and across Europe. We want to stop

:00:45. > :00:48.the perilous journey that mx ribs are making, including children, that

:00:49. > :00:52.have had terrible consequences. For the majority of refugees of all

:00:53. > :00:57.ages, the clear advice from experts on the ground is that protection in

:00:58. > :01:02.said countries in their reghon of origin is the best way of kdeping

:01:03. > :01:05.them safe, and crucially all allowing them to return homd and

:01:06. > :01:12.rebuild their lives once thd conflict is over. That is why we are

:01:13. > :01:17.providing more than ?1.1 billion in humanitarian aid to the Syrhan

:01:18. > :01:23.crisis. It is also why we h`ve a resettlement scheme for the most

:01:24. > :01:28.vulnerable Syrian refugees. Those in the most to me. 1000 arrived before

:01:29. > :01:36.Christmas, around half of them are children. A further 19,000 refugees

:01:37. > :01:41.will be resettled by the end of this Parliament, and many of thel will be

:01:42. > :01:45.children too. Our resettlemdnt scheme is based on referrals from

:01:46. > :01:51.the UNHCR. We already consider referrals of separated children as

:01:52. > :01:55.orphans under the resettlemdnt scheme or the UNHCR suggests that

:01:56. > :02:01.resettlement is in the best interest of the child. The UNHCR had a clear

:02:02. > :02:05.view that it is generally bdtter for separated children and orph`ns

:02:06. > :02:09.within the region to stay there They are more likely to be reunited

:02:10. > :02:15.with family members, or to be taken into extended family networks. Last

:02:16. > :02:21.week, the international devdlopment secretary announced an additional

:02:22. > :02:27.?30 million for shelter, warm clothes, food, and medical supplies,

:02:28. > :02:32.including for 27,000 childrdn and babies. This assistance will be

:02:33. > :02:37.distributed to aid agencies including Unicef, UNHCR, thd Red

:02:38. > :02:39.Cross, and the international organisation for migration. To

:02:40. > :02:45.support vulnerable people, hncluding children on the move or str`nded in

:02:46. > :02:50.Europe, or in the Balkans. We have heard calls for the UK to t`ke more

:02:51. > :02:56.unaccompanied children from within the EU. The Prime Minister has

:02:57. > :03:02.committed to looking again `t this issue, and it is currently tnder

:03:03. > :03:07.review. Such a serious issud potentially affecting lives of so

:03:08. > :03:12.many must be considered fully, and no action has been taken yet. The

:03:13. > :03:14.government is clear that anx action to help and assist unaccomp`nied

:03:15. > :03:22.minors must be in the best hnterest of the child, and it is right that

:03:23. > :03:25.that is our primary concern. We take our responsibilities seriously, and

:03:26. > :03:30.this issue is under careful consideration. When this is

:03:31. > :03:38.completed, will update the house accordingly. I commend this

:03:39. > :03:42.statement to the house. The aid for refugees, particularly children is

:03:43. > :03:45.of course welcome. Save the children have estimated that there are 2 ,000

:03:46. > :03:52.children who have arrived alone in Europe. Some of the loan, some have

:03:53. > :03:56.been trafficked by gangs, pdrhaps into prostitution, slavery, or the

:03:57. > :04:00.drugs trade. Some have been separated from parents or f`mily

:04:01. > :04:04.along the way. Such is the ten-year-old whose case I hdard of

:04:05. > :04:10.who was separated from his parents as the gang pushed them onto a

:04:11. > :04:15.lorry. They do not know where he is. The government said it is looking at

:04:16. > :04:21.save the children and that the cross party called for Britain to take

:04:22. > :04:26.3000 alone child refugees. There has been no answer, and we hear rumours

:04:27. > :04:30.that the government will only be looking at helping child refugees

:04:31. > :04:34.from camps in the region. That is not enough. In Greece and in Italy,

:04:35. > :04:39.and in the Balkans, the recdption centres and the children's `rms are

:04:40. > :04:44.full, and children are disappearing. The Italian authorities esthmate

:04:45. > :04:48.4000 children who were alond in Italy simply disappeared last year.

:04:49. > :04:55.I met 11 and 12-year-olds in Calais for their old Philly macro `lone.

:04:56. > :04:59.One volunteer looking after them, that is a similar age to my

:05:00. > :05:03.children. We should especially be helping those who have a falily in

:05:04. > :05:08.Britain who are desperate to care for them. Last week a tribunal ruled

:05:09. > :05:12.that three teenagers and vulnerable adults should be able to st`y with

:05:13. > :05:16.close relatives here while their asylum cases are heard rathdr than

:05:17. > :05:21.being alone in France, becatse the franchise system and the Dublin

:05:22. > :05:28.three agreements are not working for a loan refugee children. And to see

:05:29. > :05:33.this judgement as another Reformation to the systems so that

:05:34. > :05:36.it helps child refugees. Thd tribunal was unsuccessful, `

:05:37. > :05:41.teenager from Afghanistan whose sister lives here. In unsuccessful

:05:42. > :05:47.because he died, suffocated in a lorry a few weeks ago, taking crazy

:05:48. > :05:55.risks because he did not waht for the lawyers. He is 15 years old and

:05:56. > :06:02.that is what teenagers do. Lany of us participated in the Holocaust

:06:03. > :06:07.Memorial day, and a Lord in the House of Lords was assayed hn the

:06:08. > :06:11.Holocaust. He is now asking us to his amendment to back save the

:06:12. > :06:16.children campaign to help a new generation of vulnerable chhldren.

:06:17. > :06:20.Please, will the government agree before more children disappdar or

:06:21. > :06:29.die? Please let us do our bht again to help child refugees. Thank you Mr

:06:30. > :06:33.Speaker. I say to the right honourable Lady that this government

:06:34. > :06:37.is taking a number of steps to assist child refugees, both in the

:06:38. > :06:41.region and also with some of the specialist support that we `re

:06:42. > :06:46.providing in countries like Greece and Italy to support the processing

:06:47. > :06:52.of asylum claims. When we look at the situation in northern France and

:06:53. > :06:56.in Calais, at how the government is providing support to the Frdnch in

:06:57. > :07:00.terms of the identification of those who are victims of slavery `nd

:07:01. > :07:05.trafficking, is a key part of the agreement that was reached last

:07:06. > :07:11.August between the home secretary of the French Minister of the hnterior.

:07:12. > :07:13.It is important to recognisd the point is that the honourabld lady

:07:14. > :07:20.made around the role of trafficking, and those who are seeking to sell

:07:21. > :07:24.false hope to put life directly at risk. It is quite terrific the way

:07:25. > :07:28.in which traffickers will sdek to place refugees in appalling

:07:29. > :07:35.conditions. Literally not c`ring whether they live or die. In that

:07:36. > :07:41.context, it is notable that work by Euro poll has indicated that 90 --

:07:42. > :07:47.19 who are coming to Europe had been trafficked into some form or another

:07:48. > :07:51.who are involved in immigration crisis. The work that we ard taking

:07:52. > :07:57.in assessing a task force is important in working with Etro poll

:07:58. > :08:02.to confront and combat that heinous work of traffickers. On the issue of

:08:03. > :08:05.reunion, the Dublin arrangelents are there. The honourable lady lentions

:08:06. > :08:12.the court case from last wedk which was specific in relation to the four

:08:13. > :08:16.individuals concerned. Whild we will look at the judgement that has not

:08:17. > :08:20.yet been received to understand the core's decision, and to unddrstand

:08:21. > :08:24.the reasons that were sent out for reaching the order that thex made

:08:25. > :08:28.last week, it is important to recognised that it was the fact they

:08:29. > :08:37.claim had to be made of a solid and France to ensure that the

:08:38. > :08:40.reunification arrangements were operative under the Dublin

:08:41. > :08:44.arrangements themselves. We will wait to see. In the context of save

:08:45. > :08:47.the children were poor and their request to consider the 3000, as I

:08:48. > :08:52.have said in the Prime Minister has had in his house, we are actively

:08:53. > :08:56.considering that proposal and we will return it to the house when we

:08:57. > :09:06.have concluded our investig`tion of the matter. I think it is ilportant

:09:07. > :09:15.not to stretch the analogy too far. We need to remember that only two

:09:16. > :09:19.children survived along with their families were killed. There are

:09:20. > :09:25.clear parallels that we need to address. We need to remember the

:09:26. > :09:31.enormous contribution of kindred transport made to this country by

:09:32. > :09:38.distinguished doctors, numbdrs of both parties were saved by that

:09:39. > :09:42.Please, the Prime Minister hs looking at this, and he is right to

:09:43. > :09:47.try to keep children in the region. But, we are where we are. There are

:09:48. > :09:53.children out there at risk, and I would urge the governments to look

:09:54. > :09:56.carefully at this. It is thd 25th of January, a month we are at

:09:57. > :09:58.celebrating the Christian fdstival of children, and I hope that that

:09:59. > :10:07.spirit lingers beyond Boxing Day. My right honourable friend hs

:10:08. > :10:10.obviously right to recall the Holocaust memorial day that we mark

:10:11. > :10:14.on the 27th of January and darlier this afternoon I was at the home

:10:15. > :10:18.office with our own recognition of that very important event. The

:10:19. > :10:21.context of what happened thdn and how we need to ensure that the

:10:22. > :10:28.lessons of the past are maintained today. I think our focus is clearly

:10:29. > :10:31.on trying to assist the most in need children, the most in need of

:10:32. > :10:34.refugees. Why we have taken the approach that we have of a

:10:35. > :10:40.assistance of the vulnerabld persons relocation scheme, resettlelent

:10:41. > :10:43.scheme. Because it is and at the issues of former ability, p`rt of

:10:44. > :10:46.which is about children. Part of which is about orphans and hs very

:10:47. > :10:52.much focused on those have suffered the most. Hear, hear!

:10:53. > :10:57.The thought of any child alone in a foreign country is abhorrent to any

:10:58. > :11:01.parent, but alone in dangerous conditions without food, warmth or

:11:02. > :11:07.comfort or protection is genuinely terrifying. Sadly this is the

:11:08. > :11:10.reality today for thousands of Syrian children and those fleeing

:11:11. > :11:14.other conflicts. The truth hs that some of these frightened yotng souls

:11:15. > :11:17.are on our own doorstep as ly right honourable friend, the Leaddr of the

:11:18. > :11:21.Opposition, so for himself this weekend. No child should be left to

:11:22. > :11:23.fend for themselves, whoever they are and wherever they are. Hear

:11:24. > :11:27.hear! I have no doubt that when f`ced with

:11:28. > :11:31.this, the vast majority of British people would see a moral duty to act

:11:32. > :11:36.as the right honourable gentleman has just said. Can I start, Mr

:11:37. > :11:41.Speaker, my congratulating ly right honourable friend in bringing this

:11:42. > :11:44.question and welcoming the Minister's commitment to look

:11:45. > :11:47.seriously at this issue? But can I press him on some of the pohnts made

:11:48. > :11:54.by my right honourable friend. In particular, to look at children here

:11:55. > :11:57.in Europe as well as those hn the camps. The government's polhcy today

:11:58. > :12:00.only to take refugees from the region rather than those who have

:12:01. > :12:03.crossed the sea, does he not accept that as this crisis develops, that

:12:04. > :12:08.distinction is becoming harder to maintain? There are 26,000

:12:09. > :12:13.unaccompanied children in Etrope today. They cannot, as the

:12:14. > :12:17.government claims, be descrhbed as the fittest and the strongest. They

:12:18. > :12:20.are instead highly vulnerable to trafficking, prostitution, `nd other

:12:21. > :12:25.forms of abuse. They urgently need someone to reach out a hand. I

:12:26. > :12:28.appreciate concerns that thhs could set president and

:12:29. > :12:35.for families to send childrdn alone, but surely that can be done by

:12:36. > :12:41.making clear this is an excdptional move and my work with the UNHCR and

:12:42. > :12:45.others to identify children who are alone. This is the biggest to Syrian

:12:46. > :12:49.crisis since the Second World War, but instead of playing our full

:12:50. > :12:52.path, the Prime Minister has been recent weeks stomping around Europe

:12:53. > :12:56.with his own list of demands. Does the Minister not accept that two

:12:57. > :13:00.countries trying to deal with the enormity of this crisis, th`t might

:13:01. > :13:05.make us look a little selfish and blinkered? By doing more to help our

:13:06. > :13:07.partners in Europe, might not be Prime Minister build goodwill and

:13:08. > :13:14.get a better hearing when it comes to his own renegotiation delands? As

:13:15. > :13:16.others have said, this week we were on a member of the awful evdnt of

:13:17. > :13:23.the Holocaust and the kingdom transport. As candour transport copy

:13:24. > :13:29.now is time to look at thosd British heroes of and look at the course of

:13:30. > :13:32.history in this. I think thhs country can be proud of the record

:13:33. > :13:39.that we have maintained and the work that we are providing. And providing

:13:40. > :13:43.aid and assistance to vulnerable people in the region, the ?0.1

:13:44. > :13:46.billion that has been committed I would say to the right honotrable

:13:47. > :13:51.gentleman, that we are workhng closely with the UNHCR about how we

:13:52. > :13:55.are working to be resettlemdnt programme, but also in our

:13:56. > :14:00.consideration of this issue are children, the UNHCR, and Unhcef have

:14:01. > :14:02.also been very clear that the best way to help children is in the

:14:03. > :14:11.region itself because that hs often where those connections frol family

:14:12. > :14:14.are. He highlighted the isste of Europe, that I say to him that we

:14:15. > :14:18.are acting in solidarity in Europe or the support that we are providing

:14:19. > :14:24.their the European Asylum stpport office. The support that we are

:14:25. > :14:30.providing to Frontex, in terms of the search and rescue operation And

:14:31. > :14:33.to Europe and the activities in the Mediterranean to confront the people

:14:34. > :14:37.traffickers and smugglers to really deal with this at the border. And

:14:38. > :14:40.also working the on the borders of Europe in terms of source and

:14:41. > :14:47.transit countries and getting that long-term stability and sectrity

:14:48. > :14:50.that actually is at the fundamentals of all of this. I also say that we

:14:51. > :14:56.have to be very careful in the sense that we take and not making an

:14:57. > :15:02.already extraordinarily difficult situation even worse a Hear, hear!

:15:03. > :15:07.We know that the people traffickers seek to exploit anything we say and

:15:08. > :15:09.twist this in perverse manndr to try and put more lives at risk to

:15:10. > :15:13.encourage more people to tr`vel Hear, hear!

:15:14. > :15:16.That is why we are looking `t this issue very closely in terms of what

:15:17. > :15:20.is in the best interest for the child to the. Tuesday that lore

:15:21. > :15:24.lives are not being put at risk in this way. To see what how wd can

:15:25. > :15:28.support activity. Also I've highlighted the support that we are

:15:29. > :15:34.very directly given in Europe to provide assistant to childrdn and to

:15:35. > :15:39.refugees in flights across Durope and the Balkans. I think th`t

:15:40. > :15:42.combination of approach sets a clear record, clearly as I have indicated,

:15:43. > :15:49.we continue to look at this issue very closely. Mr Tim Martin. Mr

:15:50. > :15:52.Speaker, I don't think it hdlps to try and confuse this issue with the

:15:53. > :15:56.EU. But notwithstanding the very considerable aid we have given to

:15:57. > :16:00.his his late Syrians in the area, which is the right thing to do, I do

:16:01. > :16:05.think there is a humanitari`n case to help these children in lhmbo and

:16:06. > :16:09.very vulnerable to traffickdrs and so on. But given, this will be

:16:10. > :16:12.fraught with problems. Given that we have a record high number of

:16:13. > :16:18.children in the care system in this country already. What assessment has

:16:19. > :16:21.he made of a capacity to be able to take them in and give them the

:16:22. > :16:27.specialist support theory they will need in the absence of the network

:16:28. > :16:30.they are used to? My right honourable friend makes an hmportant

:16:31. > :16:37.point because when we look `t the figures for unaccompanied asylum

:16:38. > :16:42.applications from asylum sedking children, last year there wdre 500.

:16:43. > :16:48.And that is already putting strain on a number of local authorhties,

:16:49. > :16:52.Kent is one in particular that has been bearing a lot of that burden.

:16:53. > :16:54.We are working closely with local government and indeed he max be

:16:55. > :16:59.aware that under the Immigr`tion Bill which is currently in the other

:17:00. > :17:05.place, we are seeking to set out a mechanism where by that burden can

:17:06. > :17:12.be more fairly attributed across local authority areas. Thank you Mr

:17:13. > :17:16.Speaker. I associated myself with comments about Holocaust Melorial

:17:17. > :17:21.Day. One of Scotland's great humanitarians and my honour`ble

:17:22. > :17:24.friend has already quoted that I got to see ourselves as of the season.

:17:25. > :17:27.looks? The proposal to take our fair looks? The proposal to take our fair

:17:28. > :17:32.share of children from Europe has been around for months. So with the

:17:33. > :17:37.government stopped prevaric`ting and naked decision more children

:17:38. > :17:39.continue to die in the freezing cold of the European winter? Is the

:17:40. > :17:44.government considering taking children from Europe and not just

:17:45. > :17:48.from the camps? Can he say ` bit more about the support that is been

:17:49. > :17:51.provided to European countrhes, to support these children will live on

:17:52. > :17:56.an affordable and victims a crisis that they did not commit and create?

:17:57. > :18:01.Mr Speaker, I have already hndicated additional funding that has been

:18:02. > :18:08.committed in terms of support for those across and in Europe. And how

:18:09. > :18:12.some of that money is being specifically provided to Unhcef for

:18:13. > :18:19.example, to really look at ways in which we can best support children

:18:20. > :18:23.within that overall approach. That I do underline the fact that Tnicef

:18:24. > :18:30.the cells emphasised the importance of assessing the individual

:18:31. > :18:33.children, their best interest before any actions are taking, nothng that

:18:34. > :18:37.in these situations children who may appear to be unaccompanied `re in

:18:38. > :18:40.fact supported by family melbers and others. And decisions about how they

:18:41. > :18:46.are care for Jim be taken into account. -- should be taken into

:18:47. > :18:52.account. No one doubts the `menity of the right honourable ladx, but

:18:53. > :18:55.surely the government should balance natural motion with hard-he`ded

:18:56. > :18:58.realism, that actually net ligration in this country has been far bigger

:18:59. > :19:02.into this country into the last two years than any other. We ard at the

:19:03. > :19:06.limit of what the liquid is that. Also we are spending more than the

:19:07. > :19:14.whole of rest of Europe togdther in helping people in Syria. For every

:19:15. > :19:17.child refugee that we take from a camp, we would have to take many

:19:18. > :19:21.people who, as part of the family. I would urge the government to stick

:19:22. > :19:25.to be humane and correct policy of spending money in the region and

:19:26. > :19:30.helping money in the region and not listening to be opposition with this

:19:31. > :19:37.daft policy of taking peopld from Dover and Calais. We want to see

:19:38. > :19:41.that children who are affected by this appalling crisis are ghven help

:19:42. > :19:45.and assistance at the earlidst, of the earliest opportunity. That is

:19:46. > :19:50.why we have committed the ahd and support that we have in the region.

:19:51. > :19:53.It is also why, if you look at Calais, how we have been giving

:19:54. > :19:56.support to the French government on scene that claims can be made as

:19:57. > :20:00.quickly and possible and how the French government set up 78 New

:20:01. > :20:04.Zealanders away from Calais to help migrants make the claims as quickly

:20:05. > :20:13.as possible -- 78 new centrds. That way we see people get help `t the

:20:14. > :20:16.earliest chance. In 2015 last year, 300,000 child refugees entered

:20:17. > :20:23.through Greece. 16,000 entered through Italy. The problem has been

:20:24. > :20:26.that the external border of the EU and the countries that are `t the

:20:27. > :20:31.external border are just not given the support that they need from the

:20:32. > :20:34.EU. As a result, reception centres have not been opened up in places

:20:35. > :20:39.like Greece. With the Minister tell us what has happened that the deal

:20:40. > :20:43.that was made between the ET and Turkey, which would have provided

:20:44. > :20:51.Turkey with the additional resources to try and help us deal with this

:20:52. > :20:56.terrible crisis,? Mr Speaker, work is continuing in respect to Turkey,

:20:57. > :20:58.and this government's commitment to providing funding in support of

:20:59. > :21:02.that. The right honourable gentleman is right to highlight the issue of

:21:03. > :21:06.the external border of countries like Greece and Italy. How this

:21:07. > :21:09.country has provided more stpport and a solid processing and tonnes of

:21:10. > :21:15.experts and any other country in the EU. -- asylum processing. That is

:21:16. > :21:20.how we can support this exalple at the forefront of our work. Thank you

:21:21. > :21:27.Mr Speaker. As my honourabld friend has said, Kent is already looking

:21:28. > :21:30.after hundreds of unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Kent has

:21:31. > :21:35.asked other councils to help, but few have been forthcoming. So as we

:21:36. > :21:38.might reconsider, whether wd can help more Syrian child refugees

:21:39. > :21:41.come my honourable friend assure me that he will press on with laking

:21:42. > :21:44.sure that there is effectivd dispersal of the young asyltm

:21:45. > :21:48.seekers already in the UK, because we have to be doing a good job with

:21:49. > :21:54.the young people who are already here seeking our help. I can assure

:21:55. > :21:57.my honourable friend that there is close work that is ongoing between

:21:58. > :22:00.the home office and also thd Department for education. I had the

:22:01. > :22:04.children's minister alongside me. Because it is to see that children

:22:05. > :22:09.are given the support that they need. Equally in counties lhke Kent,

:22:10. > :22:12.that are taking a considerable burden, that we are working with the

:22:13. > :22:16.local government Association and others as well as maintaining

:22:17. > :22:21.backstock revision with and in the Immigration Bill to make sure that

:22:22. > :22:26.there is fair allocation for young people in need of support. Lay I

:22:27. > :22:31.commend the Minister for his statement, about our

:22:32. > :22:36.responsibilities to some of the most probable children. Might also make a

:22:37. > :22:43.plea for the very boys in otr stage was used, who already have `lmost no

:22:44. > :22:47.hope of getting a decent hole. To find social services under huge

:22:48. > :22:52.pressure to meeting their ndeds and have almost no chance of getting a

:22:53. > :22:57.school of their choice copy my past when the government is in f`ct

:22:58. > :23:03.considering the needs and priorities of these children, considerhng they

:23:04. > :23:11.are committed to bringing and 2 ,000 refugees, that any proper

:23:12. > :23:18.concessions on this front is taken from that total of 20,000? H say, as

:23:19. > :23:21.I've said to other honourable and right honourable members, that we

:23:22. > :23:25.are closely considering the issue of children. I've already indicated

:23:26. > :23:28.that of the 1000 at survived to be resettlement in before Christmas,

:23:29. > :23:33.that around half of those wdre children. We are very conschous of

:23:34. > :23:37.the support for local authorities. Obviously we help announce `n

:23:38. > :23:48.additional funding to meet the needs under resettlement fee as two to

:23:49. > :23:54.five. We were told that frol 10 ,000 people would be admitted to this

:23:55. > :24:00.country each year. In fact, 320 000 people have been admitted jtst this

:24:01. > :24:06.last year. If we admit another 20,000 people to this country over

:24:07. > :24:11.the next five years, or 4000 per year, does that mean that 4000 are

:24:12. > :24:22.not admitted from other parts of the world? I say to my honourable friend

:24:23. > :24:27.that the vulnerable persons resettlement scheme, obviously, is

:24:28. > :24:31.meeting I think our rightful obligations to respond to the crisis

:24:32. > :24:35.that we see in Syria, the 20,00 number that we have outlined during

:24:36. > :24:38.the course of this Parliament. Obviously we do have certain other

:24:39. > :24:41.arrangements with the UNHCR, but I think it is about meeting that

:24:42. > :24:48.commitment and responding to the crisis that we see before us.

:24:49. > :24:53.Several robbers. Volunteers to have a talk over to Jesus juggling with

:24:54. > :24:58.eight to limit -- Calais. Whether to high black-market substances to dope

:24:59. > :25:01.the children, or revealed the family to the authorities in transht across

:25:02. > :25:04.the Channel by crying in fe`r. Surely the government can bdtter

:25:05. > :25:08.safeguard children, by also adopting proper selection and inflict mass

:25:09. > :25:13.identification processes for family before they reached the UK to avoid

:25:14. > :25:16.these terrible situations. The way to do that is to see that those

:25:17. > :25:24.families actually claim asylum in France. There have been arotnd, I

:25:25. > :25:26.think around 2800 claims of asylum in and around Calais. The French

:25:27. > :25:32.government have put in placd that the upgrades as I've indicated, to

:25:33. > :25:37.see that people be moved aw`y to Calais and better reception centres

:25:38. > :25:40.-- the arrangements I've indicated. Does identify some of the f`mily

:25:41. > :25:44.initiatives that the honour`ble Lady has highlighted. Does the Mhnister

:25:45. > :25:47.agree that many members of this house had suggested that we rescue

:25:48. > :25:54.unaccompanied minors from of the European union County needs and

:25:55. > :25:57.bring them to pretend that other EU cup countries. What is the danger

:25:58. > :25:59.that this will reappear and human rights lawyers in this country

:26:00. > :26:05.insist that they have a right to join them in the UK because they

:26:06. > :26:08.have their right family lifd. I say to my honourable friend that we need

:26:09. > :26:11.to consider these issues very carefully. Because what is `t the

:26:12. > :26:15.forefront of my mind is not seeing or children being put at risk and

:26:16. > :26:19.putting their lives at risk. Frank Lee, that is what the peopld

:26:20. > :26:23.smugglers and traffickers whll do. And why we need to act with such

:26:24. > :26:28.great care to make sure that we don't make the situation evdn worse

:26:29. > :26:34.than it is. Thank you Mr Spdaker. I wholeheartedly support by s`ying...

:26:35. > :26:37.I will ask about the dignitx of I will ask about the dignitx of

:26:38. > :26:43.children asylum seekers and their families. Well aware of thehr time

:26:44. > :26:47.is expressed about this brings. My honourable friend stigmatizhng

:26:48. > :26:51.asylum seekers by forcing them to wear the red bands, but I h`ve also

:26:52. > :26:55.short notices, evictions or lack of female housing workers and `sylum

:26:56. > :26:59.seekers being forced to sign documents before seeing properties.

:27:00. > :27:02.I was told by the home office that a manager may enter an individuals

:27:03. > :27:04.bedroom without consent. Will be investigate this and find ott what

:27:05. > :27:07.is Ackley is going on to thd treatment of these honourable

:27:08. > :27:11.individuals? Hear, hear! I think if we were playing cricket,

:27:12. > :27:14.which we are not, the honourable gentleman's bar would be a little

:27:15. > :27:19.wide of the wicked. I'm surd the Minister is dexterous enough to be

:27:20. > :27:23.able to deal with it, sensitively. I will certainly try to do so, Mr

:27:24. > :27:27.Speaker. As I indicated the House in response to the urgent question I

:27:28. > :27:32.had last week, I do expect high standards from all contractors,

:27:33. > :27:36.including that there is no hssues of stigma attached to those under their

:27:37. > :27:38.care. If there is evidence to suggest that this is not thd case,

:27:39. > :27:47.it will be treated with the utmost seriousness. Mr Gavin Robinson.

:27:48. > :27:49.Thank you Mr Speaker. Can I apologise for my vocal fray, I will

:27:50. > :27:52.be able to struggle through the question hopefully. I find

:27:53. > :27:57.e-government's response to this entire crisis as a them at times

:27:58. > :28:02.being frustratingly slow. And appearing to lack compassion. But I

:28:03. > :28:07.do support it and I do think you are on the right track and I was

:28:08. > :28:11.bolstered at the weekend by the view which believes that UK government is

:28:12. > :28:15.approaching this in the right frame. In supporting the reconsideration,

:28:16. > :28:18.government is now taking on refugee children, particularly, could the

:28:19. > :28:23.Minister give a timescale for that? Bearing in mind that a knee jerk

:28:24. > :28:27.reaction for selfish clinic`l game, which is an based in the best

:28:28. > :28:31.interest of the child, would be wholly frivolous and

:28:32. > :28:34.counterproductive? I think ht is right that we do take some time to

:28:35. > :28:37.consider this issue properlx. Because of the issue begot

:28:38. > :28:41.honourable judgement highlights about what is in the best interest

:28:42. > :28:45.of the children. And indeed the advice we have had from the best way

:28:46. > :28:48.to help children in the reghon. I would say on his issue of compassion

:28:49. > :28:52.with the aid and investment that we have given in the region, the focus

:28:53. > :28:56.on education to ensure that children in the region have hope, absolutely

:28:57. > :29:05.has that sense of compassion behind it. It has been structured hn that

:29:06. > :29:07.way. Thank you Mr Speaker. @s the primary educator, my heart was

:29:08. > :29:10.broken on Thursday seeing the conditions of the children hn the

:29:11. > :29:17.camp at the jungle in Calais, no matter what side of the argtment you

:29:18. > :29:22.are on. And a round table wd understand that there are 200 or 300

:29:23. > :29:27.families with many children who probably had the right to rdmain in

:29:28. > :29:31.the UK, but they do not know their legal rights. Danny minister commit

:29:32. > :29:37.to putting a legal resource into that camp to help those famhlies,

:29:38. > :29:41.and folly the traffickers, because they have the right to come herein

:29:42. > :29:45.referred lights? Hear, hear I say ultimately, these are matters

:29:46. > :29:49.for the French government. We have committed resourcing in terls of

:29:50. > :29:53.what actually happens in thdir own country. And the arrangements there.

:29:54. > :29:59.But I do underline this isste of claiming asylum in France, to see

:30:00. > :30:02.that assistance is provided at the earliest opportunity. That hs what

:30:03. > :30:06.we have committed with the French government, to support them in the

:30:07. > :30:10.activity. For example we have provided funding to assist them and

:30:11. > :30:13.creating the perception centres outside of Calais, to see that

:30:14. > :30:19.people are able to travel away from the area and to get the support that

:30:20. > :30:26.they need. Mr Andrews Larter. Thank you Mr Speaker. Will be govdrnment

:30:27. > :30:30.-- when will the government decide to support the amendment? When I was

:30:31. > :30:39.in the Calais capital and the 2 st of December... Trying to look after

:30:40. > :30:42.some of the unaccompanied children, by the time I encountered them at

:30:43. > :30:48.Westminster in January, the three-year-old I encountered was

:30:49. > :30:51.that. Mr Speaker, this Wedndsday will be a suitable date for the

:30:52. > :30:55.Minister to make up his mind to let the children and? I say to the

:30:56. > :31:01.honourable gentleman that the appropriate aim to do is to consider

:31:02. > :31:06.the issues of the best interest of the child, to get the furthdr input

:31:07. > :31:10.from the UNHCR and others, because of the risk of making the shtuation

:31:11. > :31:14.worse. Of actually the risk of seeing that more children ptt their

:31:15. > :31:17.lives on the line by making those perilous journeys across thd

:31:18. > :31:22.Mediterranean. That is at the forefront of our minds and that is

:31:23. > :31:28.why we will consider it in that way. Thank you Mr Speaker. At thd heart

:31:29. > :31:32.of the modern slavery at, and splitting victims of exploitation

:31:33. > :31:35.and trafficking first -- and putting victims first. I wonder that in this

:31:36. > :31:41.case it is quite clear that unaccompanied children are the most

:31:42. > :31:44.vulnerable victims of traffhcking. Danny minister say exactly what is

:31:45. > :31:48.happening to identify these very vulnerable children that have been

:31:49. > :31:53.trafficked and are at risk of exploitation and taking a ddcision

:31:54. > :31:56.to get them to this country? I say to the honourable Lady, that is part

:31:57. > :31:59.of the joint declaration th`t was signed last August, we are providing

:32:00. > :32:03.a specific financial assist`nce to fund a project aimed at the most

:32:04. > :32:07.vulnerable people. In and around Calais. That aims to increase

:32:08. > :32:11.observations and accounts to identify vulnerable migrants, to

:32:12. > :32:14.provide medical help and protection where required and to put in place a

:32:15. > :32:17.system to transfer them, brhskly, to places of safety and ensure that

:32:18. > :32:25.they are offered the appropriate advice and support from the French

:32:26. > :32:28.system. Thank you Mr Speaker. Can I ask the Minister not to listen to

:32:29. > :32:33.the Member for Gainsborough, with his separation of rationality and he

:32:34. > :32:40.motioned over this issue. The member just laid out a fact and we are

:32:41. > :32:43.merely responded, but the Mdmber for Gainsborough has no monopolx on

:32:44. > :32:51.rationality here. Will be rdcall that almost one year ago today on

:32:52. > :32:55.the 29th of January,... Orddr! I'm sorry the honourable lady is asking

:32:56. > :32:59.a question and she is speakhng to a member who is courteously lhstening,

:33:00. > :33:01.and there is conversation t`king place between two other members who

:33:02. > :33:04.think what they have to say to each other is more important than what

:33:05. > :33:10.the honourable lady has to say to the House. Your remarks can wait

:33:11. > :33:12.another time. We are discussing a very serious matter. Your thoughts

:33:13. > :33:19.have been heard and that's here others'. Ms., please feel free to

:33:20. > :33:21.start again and go to the qtestion. This is important and courtdous

:33:22. > :33:27.attentiveness is important `s well. Thank you Mr Speaker. I will not

:33:28. > :33:29.detain the House again with my treaties on rationality. But I will

:33:30. > :33:33.just say that we are merely talking about the fact copy it is the fact

:33:34. > :33:37.that two years ago in his place on the 29th of January, 2014, the

:33:38. > :33:41.government refused our calls to join the UNHCR scheme for resettlement of

:33:42. > :33:46.refugees and it took a bravd media in our country to change thdir

:33:47. > :33:53.minds. So can I simply say to the Minister, don't leave it too long

:33:54. > :33:57.again. Open our doors, now. Minister. I say to the honotrable

:33:58. > :33:59.lady that the focus of this government is providing the most it

:34:00. > :34:04.portends a port to be vulnerable and portends a port to be vulnerable and

:34:05. > :34:07.that is why we have established the scheme -- most important support.

:34:08. > :34:09.That's why we are providing aid and assistance in the region because it

:34:10. > :34:14.is about hoping the most nulber of people possible. We do that most

:34:15. > :34:17.effectively in those areas `nd indeed by some additional ftnding

:34:18. > :34:21.that I have outlined to the House this afternoon. But I do sax, in all

:34:22. > :34:28.honesty we are considering the issue carefully. We get it right rather

:34:29. > :34:30.than running to any specific timetable because of issues that are

:34:31. > :34:35.involved as we are talking `bout children. Thank you Mr Speaker. This

:34:36. > :34:40.is of course an extreme isste and our hearts go out to the chhldren in

:34:41. > :34:44.need and the jungle and Cal`is. But only need to be very careful about

:34:45. > :34:49.confusing the clear message of UK's eight effort come in mainly that it

:34:50. > :34:52.is in children's effort to remain in the region where UK aid is `vailable

:34:53. > :34:57.and be hundreds of million of pounds, and that not put thdm into

:34:58. > :35:00.the crutches of evil traffickers who frankly do not care if they live or

:35:01. > :35:03.die. Hear, hear! I think my honourable friend has

:35:04. > :35:07.made his point very concisely and very well. It is at risk of the

:35:08. > :35:11.exportation that people traffickers that we do have at the forefront of

:35:12. > :35:15.our minds. And equally the way that social media is being played into

:35:16. > :35:20.this. To self also an false opportunity in putting lives at

:35:21. > :35:25.risk. Thank you Mr Speaker. I would like to think the colleagues from

:35:26. > :35:28.seven different political p`rties, including the conservative party,

:35:29. > :35:31.who signed a joint letter to the Prime Minister on this very subject,

:35:32. > :35:34.and indeed signed by the right honourable lady, the Member for

:35:35. > :35:39.Pontifex. We welcome the fact that the government are still considering

:35:40. > :35:43.this. We invite them to do so with a greater degree of urgency. Hf it is

:35:44. > :35:45.in fact 3000 children that the government are considering, I hope

:35:46. > :35:48.that they would not suggest that that is something that should happen

:35:49. > :35:52.over a period of five years, because if it is than some of those children

:35:53. > :35:59.will be at risk of freezing to death for the next four years or falling

:36:00. > :36:02.into the hands of traffickers in. I say to the honourable gentldman that

:36:03. > :36:08.we are providing assistance to refugees across Europe and hn the

:36:09. > :36:12.Balkans as I've indicated from the additional ?30 million that the

:36:13. > :36:16.deputy secretary outlined l`st week. We do need to take care to dnsure

:36:17. > :36:18.that we are not making the situation worse, that we are putting the best

:36:19. > :36:23.interest of children at the forefront of our mind and I might as

:36:24. > :36:25.I've already indicated under the resettlement scheme, around half of

:36:26. > :36:32.those who have arrived alre`dy our children.