Home Secretary announces expansion to scheme for vulnerable refugees
Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said the UK will expand a scheme for vulnerable Syrian refugees to include those from other countries affected by the conflict.
Ms Rudd said widening the scope of the Syrian vulnerable persons resettlement scheme would help the most vulnerable people in the region.
Some 7,307 Syrian nationals have been brought to the UK under the scheme since it launched in January 2014, half of whom are children.
However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has told ministers the scheme would benefit from being extended to encompass the most vulnerable refugees from across the region, not just Syrians.
In a written statement to Parliament, Ms Rudd said: “In light of this, with immediate effect, I am amending the scope of the Syrian vulnerable person’s resettlement scheme (VPRS) to enable UNHCR to refer the most vulnerable refugees in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region who have fled the Syrian conflict and cannot safely return to their country of origin, whatever their nationality.”
The changes will mean that mixed family groups are eligible for resettlement under the vulnerable people scheme.
This change might also open up the scheme to other groups, such as Iraqi minorities who sought refuge in Syria, but had to flee again as a result of the Syria conflict.
In her statement Ms Rudd said the Syria conflict had caused “unparalleled suffering, destruction and disregard for human life”, as well as pushing thousands of refugees and migrants towards Europe’s borders.
The VPRS is on course to resettle 20,000 refugees in the UK by 2020, Ms Rudd said.
This is in addition to a separate programme for vulnerable children from the region, which will see Britain resettle up to 3,000 from the Middle East and North Africa by 2020.
“Our approach is rightly based on targeting our support so that it delivers the most impact, helps those who need it the most, and avoids unintended consequences,” Ms Rudd added.
“This provides refugees with a more direct and safe route to the UK, rather than risking the hazardous journey to Europe which has tragically cost so many lives.”
Maurice Wren, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “Today’s announcement that the Syrian vulnerable person’s scheme will be a lifeline for refugees of any nationality fleeing Syria, not just Syrian natives, is welcome news.
“The harm caused by the bitter Syrian conflict does not discriminate on the basis of nationality and neither should our humanitarian response.
“With the number of refugees at a record high, we urge the Government to go further and commit to resettling people from around the world, at least at current numbers, for as long as it is needed.”
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