UK to Take Thousands of Syrian Refugees, Vows Cameron
04 September 2015 - 12:10PM
Dow Jones News
LISBON—U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Friday
that Britain will take in "thousands" of Syrian refugees, marking a
major U-turn in his response to Europe's migrant crisis following a
public outcry for him to do more.
"Given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of people,
today I can announce that we will do more, providing resettlement
for thousands more Syrian refugees," he said following a meeting
with his Portuguese counterpart, adding that the government will
discuss exact numbers with partners and set out more details next
week.
"We will continue with our approach of taking them from the
refugee camps—this provides them with a more direct and safe route
to the United Kingdom rather than risking the hazardous journey
which has tragically cost so many of their lives," he said.
The announcement marks a major shift for Mr. Cameron who just
two days ago said taking more refugees from Syria wasn't the
answer, an uncompromising stance that had put Britain at odds with
Germany and other European Union allies that have said they would
offer refuge to thousands fleeing war.
He reiterated that stance Thursday, saying the U.K.'s huge
humanitarian commitment to the Syrian refugee crisis and deployment
of navy ships to the Mediterranean showed the country cared.
But the prime minister has looked increasingly on the wrong side
of the argument in recent days especially after pictures of a
drowned Syrian boy washed up on a beach in Turkey triggered an
outpouring of sympathy for refugees and calls for Britain to do
more to help.
U.K. politicians from across the political spectrum, including
from within the prime minister's centre-right Conservative Party,
have urged him to do more. A public petition calling for the
government to accept more asylum seekers has also garnered more
than 230,000 signatures by Friday morning, exceeding the 100,000
mark that would make it eligible for consideration in a debate in
parliament.
Mr. Cameron said on Thursday that Britain would fulfill its
moral responsibilities and that as a father he felt deeply moved by
the pictures of the dead boy on the beach.
His original uncompromising stance also potentially threatened
his mission to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU ahead
of a holding a national referendum on membership of the bloc by end
of 2017. Some EU politicians indicated in recent days that the
British prime minister cannot expect to get what he wants if he
doesn't show solidarity on the migration crisis.
Mr. Cameron is visiting his counterparts in Lisbon and Madrid on
Friday to discuss his EU reform agenda, although those talks are
likely to be overshadowed by the migration issue.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that she agreed
with French President Franç ois Hollande that the EU needs a
binding quota to distribute refugees fairly.
Britain has focused its efforts on providing humanitarian aid to
help the refugee crisis in Syria and in neighboring countries such
as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq, committing £ 900 million
since 2012 to provide food, shelter, medical care and clean
drinking water to thousands of people affected by the Syrian civil
war.
It has also contributed to the military effort against the
militants who call themselves Islamic State in the region, joining
the U.S. and other nations in a bombing campaign against the group
in Iraq.
While the U.K. has provided a home for some refugees, the
numbers are far lower than taken in by some other large European
countries.
The U.K. has brought 216 Syrians to live in Britain under a
scheme started in early 2014 to relocate people who are deemed
particularly vulnerable, according to the government. Britain has
also granted asylum to about 5,000 Syrians who have reached Britain
since the start of 2011. A total of 11,600 people were granted
asylum in the year to the end of June, according to Home Office
figures.
Almost 65,000 people fled war-ridden Syria to Germany last year,
marking an increase of almost 250%.
Oxfam welcomed the news that Mr. Cameron would announce more
help. The Non-Government Organization said it hoped the government
would clarify as soon as possible the number of Syrian refugees it
planned to resettle and when.
"Offering to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees would bring the
U.K. in line with other European countries who have already shown
leadership in offering a haven to vulnerable refugees," Mark
Goldring, the chief executive of the NGO, said in a statement.
Write to Patricia Kowsmann at patricia.kowsmann@wsj.com and
Nicholas Winning at nick.winning@wsj.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 04, 2015 06:55 ET (10:55 GMT)
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