'Hundreds' of Syrian refugees to be welcomed in UK after Government relents

 
Vast: the sprawling Zaatari refugee camp
Staff|Agency29 January 2014

Hundreds of Syrian refugees are to be brought to Britain in a bid to help the most vulnerable victims of the civil war, Nick Clegg said today.

Torture survivors and victims of sexual assaults will be given safety, although no figure is being put on the number of potential arrivals but the number is expected to run into the hundreds under the plans unveiled by the Deputy Prime Minister.

A United Nations scheme aimed at resettling up to 30,000 displaced Syrians in Western nations was not accepted by the UK, despite calls from Labour to do so.

Prime Minister David Cameron has resisted signing Britain up to the UN sanctuary programme, arguing that it is not the solution to a crisis which has seen millions of Syrians flee their homes in a three-year civil war.

He stressed that the UK was already the world's second-largest bilateral donor in the crisis, providing £600 million to help victims of the violence in Syria and neighbouring countries.

After coming under pressure from Labour and Liberal Democrats, he told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions last week that he was ready to consider taking in refugees in cases of extreme hardship. Ms May and Foreign Secretary William Hague have been working on details of the scheme over the past week.

Now Mr Clegg has said: "I am pleased to be able to announce today that the UK will be providing refuge to some of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees.

"The £600 million we have provided makes us the second largest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid in the world.

"We are one of the most open-hearted countries in the world and I believe we have a moral responsibility to help."

Explaining the criteria under which refugees will be selected for admission to the UK, Mr Clegg said: "The UN High Commission for Refugees - which backs our new resettlement programme - has said the highest priority should go to women and girls who have experienced or are at risk of sexual violence, the elderly, survivors of torture, and individuals with disabilities, so that's who we'll target.

"Sadly we cannot provide safety for everyone who needs it, but we can reach out to some of those who need it most.

"Britain has a long and proud tradition of providing refuge at times of crisis. This coalition Government will ensure it lives on."

No target will be set for the numbers of refugees to be admitted, with the UK instead working with the UNHCR on a case-by-case basis to identify those most in need of assistance.

Refuge will be offered to some of those most traumatised by the crisis, including vulnerable women and children, who are expected to arrive on a gradual basis over the coming months.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Vulnerable Syrian refugees, torture victims, abandoned children and those struggling to cope or survive in the camps desperately need sanctuary and Britain has a moral obligation to help.

"I am very glad the Government has finally bowed to pressure before tomorrow's opposition vote.

The UK representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Roland Schilling, said: "This decision will help to provide much needed solutions for vulnerable Syrian refugees many of whom have been deeply traumatised and face immense hardship.

"It is also a concrete and important gesture of solidarity and burden sharing with the countries neighbouring Syria as they continue to bear the brunt of the refugee crisis."

Refugee Council chief executive Maurice Wren said: "This news, quite simply, will transform people's lives."

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