An urgent summit to discuss unaccompanied asylum seeking children who have fled conflict, poverty and persecution will be chaired by leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron.
Liberal Democrats have been pressing the Government to take 3000 orphaned child refugees who have reached European shores.
Tim recognises that accepting these children will have an impact on public services and will require local authorities, charities and central government to work together to mitigate these challenges. This roundtable seeks to explore best working practice and establish how central government can act to support local authorities both financially and from an operational and logistical perspective.
The summit on February 10th will bring MPs from across the political spectrum like Yvette Cooper and Caroline Lucas who have campaigned with Liberal Democrats for the Government to do more to tackle the refugee crisis. The Office of the Children’s Commissioner, the Local Government Association and Save the Children will join the summit to debate the best way forward.
Liberal Democrats hope that the roundtable will clarify some of the questions around how Britain can welcome these children. In the face of this crisis MPs and campaigners need to continue lobbying Government for a more open-hearted and fuller response.
Tim said: “The government’s response so far has been not only pathetic but I’d actually call it callous. They, on one hand say they are helping people while making sure headlines scream no children can come here.
“The Prime Minister with these type of actions demeans his office and hurts our country.
“The Prime Minister’s cold hearted vision of Britain is not mine, and it’s not the vast majority of the public’s either.
“I hope that by bringing all partner organisations and other MP’s of all parties who share my commitment on the issue together to lay out a more positive plan to help those unaccompanied children in Europe who have to be down in doorways night after night thousands of miles away from home.”
IN ADDITION TO THIS
Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords have put their name to a letter which calls on the Prime Minister to ‘fulfil his moral duty to accept 3,000 orphaned child refugees.’
Signatories to the letter comprise of more than 100 Lib Dem Peers including former Party Leaders Paddy Ashdown, Ming Campbell, Bill Rodgers and David Steel.
The letter, written by Liberal Democrat Peer Roger Roberts, highlights that more than 10,000 children have vanished after registering with state authorities. Government inaction has left children fleeing conflict open to sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
Ahead of delivering the letter Roger Roberts said:
“It is outrageous that David Cameron does not step in to properly protect these children. Instead he offers a shadow of what he should which leaves children suffering and dying across the European continent.
“There are calls for him to do more in the Commons and there are calls for him to do more in the Lords.
“Cameron is stepping back and relying on others to be the humanitarians that we should be.”