Government kills off peers’ bid to offer safe haven to 3,000 child refugees

The Government has killed off an attempt by peers to make Britain offer sanctuary to 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees from Europe despite concern from Tory backbenchers.

Suggestions that Tory rebels could force a Government defeat alongside Labour, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats, were allayed as MPs voted 294 to 276, majority 18, to reject Lord Dubs’ amendment to the Immigration Bill.

A handful of Tory MPs raised concerns in the debate over the Government’s position and Heidi Allen, one of the leading critics, said after the vote that she had abstained, describing it on Twitter as “the hardest decision”.

The amendment has now been effectively killed off as it was certified as “engaging financial privilege”, meaning the Lords have no choice but to back down after it was rejected by the Commons.

Lord Dubs will make another attempt to force the Government’s hand when the Bill returns to the Lords on Tuesday, proposing a revised amendment that removes the reference to 3,000 refugees.

Instead he will ask the Government to resettle a “specified number” of lone child refugees to be determined in consultation with local authorities.

Ms Allen had earlier described abstaining as a “pathetic offering” but she had to take that course of action because the Government committed last week to taking in 3,000 more refugees, mostly children, from the Middle East and North Africa.

She said: “I had planned to abstain in the vote because I must acknowledge the offer to take 3,000 more, and I would be playing fast and loose with their opportunity for sanctuary if I did not support the Government, but how can I forget the faces of the children I have seen in Europe?

“A pathetic offering, really, abstention.

“Is it enough? Is it good enough?

“If the Dubs amendment does not succeed today I urge the Lords to continue fighting with us.

“We must seek to achieve a compromise amendment.”

Tories Tania Mathias (Twickenham) and Stephen Phillips (Sleaford and North Hykeham) both called on the Government to take more action on child refugees.

Ms Mathias said: “I believe Lord Dubs’ amendment is the right thing to do tonight to give those children a safe haven.”

Mr Phillips said: “Those children are tonight in Calais, they’re on the Greek-Macedonia border, they’re at the Gare du Nord in Paris and Midi station in Brussels. They’re sleeping rough in Berlin and Rome and Skopje and Vienna.

“Tonight they will sleep in fear and tomorrow they will wake to the hopelessness to which their position exposes them. But we can do something.”

Speaking outside the chamber, Labour refugee tasforce chair Yvette Cooper said: “It is deeply disappointing that the Government has rejected the Dubs amendment – albeit with a reduced majority.

“Thousands of children are sleeping rough in Europe tonight, vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and Britain should not be turning its back,” she said.

“Alf Dubs will keep pressing this issue in the Lords as we must do our bit to help.”

Earlier, Immigration Minister James Brokenshire had told MPs that Britain should not take in children from Europe because it could encourage others to make risky journeys into the continent with people traffickers and on dangerous sea crossings.

He insisted that Europe was already a “safe space” and that its countries had similar obligations to the UK to protect children, but stressed the Government was still offering support to under-pressure nations.

That includes a £10 million refugee children fund to help charities work with host countries to care for and assist lone children.

“It is about supporting those frontline member states, it is about supporting our other European partners, to stand by their responsibilities, because in essence Europe should be a safe space,” Mr Brokenshire said.

“We’re not talking about a conflict zone and therefore we judge that the best way to make a difference and to help the greatest numbers of those in need is to support the majority of refugees to enable them to stay safely in their home region, which is why I make the points that I do, in respect of the aid and assistance.”

The Government won a series of votes to reject other Lords amendments on immigration detention and overseas domestic workers.

The Bill will return to the Lords for consideration by peers on Tuesday and will enter a fresh round of parliamentary ping pong if further amendments are made.

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