[Mr David Crausby in the Chair] — UNHCR: Admission Pathways for Syrian Refugees

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 10:49 am on 16 March 2016.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Richard Harrington Richard Harrington Parliamentary Under Secretary for Home Office (Jointly with Department for Communities and Local Government and Department for International Development), Parliamentary Under Secretary for Department for Communities and Local Government (Jointly with Home Office and Department for International Development), Parliamentary Under Secretary for Department for International Development (Jointly with Home Office and Department for Communities and Local Government) 10:49, 16 March 2016

I am so sorry but I cannot. I have only two minutes to go and I have things I would like to cover. Again, I am very happy to discuss that on any other occasion.

On the children in France who have been spoken about, there have been many representations to the Government to expand the family reunification scheme. Children can be resettled here under family reunification in different ways. The UNHCR vulnerability criteria, which are one of the seven parts of the Syrian resettlement scheme, are one such way.

The Dublin convention allows for children to be given asylum. The example of France was given, and we are shortening the time between children getting advice on and applying for asylum and coming here under family reunification. I was advised by officials yesterday that that is down to four weeks—four weeks from registering in France, with proof of family reunion, they can come here. Things are happening on that.

I accept that many valid points were made and the Government are always looking at ways of improving the situation. What we cannot do is provide a vehicle for the people smugglers and traffickers to get children as far as France, then into this country as unaccompanied children and then produce parents. The people who produce those children are ruthless, and the refugees are vulnerable and desperate. I am sure hon. Members will agree that we cannot allow children to be used as a way of getting families here when we do have good schemes in place to get families over here.

Community sponsorship has been mentioned and we are finalising the details of that. The Government are focused on providing a wide response. We know that there are people who cannot be supported sufficiently in the region and it is those vulnerable people whom we are bringing to the UK.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered the UNHCR and pathways for admission of Syrian refugees.