Unaccompanied Refugee Children — 1 Mar 2017 at 19:01

The majority of MPs voted to work with Greece and Italy to support the reunification of refugee families and to monitor the capacity of local councils to support unaccompanied refugee children.

The motion supported by the majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That this House has considered the Government’s support for the Syrian refugee crisis;
• commends the UK on its provision of aid to Syria and the region, the resettlement programmes and support to unaccompanied children in France;
• acknowledges that in 2016 over 30,000 unaccompanied children arrived by sea in Greece and Italy;
• notes that only 8 children were transferred from Greece and Italy under the Dublin III Regulation last year and none under the Dubs scheme; expresses disappointment that the Dubs scheme will be ending with only 350 children benefiting;
• calls on the Government to work with the Greek and Italian governments to support access to family reunification under the Dublin III Regulation in a timely manner; and
• further calls on the Government to continue to monitor local authority capacity for further transfers of children under the Dubs scheme, consulting with local authorities at least once every financial year.

The Dubs scheme appears to be a reference to the Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 titled: Unaccompanied refugee children: relocation and support which was introduced following an amendment^[1] moved by Lord Dubs.

• [1] House of Lords amendment sheet, Immigration Bill, 26 April 2016

Debate in Parliament |