Liberal Democrat members of the House of Lords have put their name to a letter which calls on the Prime Minister, David Cameron, to ‘fulfil his moral duty to accept 3,000 orphaned child refugees.’
The letter, written by Liberal Democrat Peer Roger Roberts, highlights that more than 10,000 children have vanished after registering with state authorities. Government inaction has left children fleeing conflict open to sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
Signatories to the letter comprise of more than 100 Liberal Democrat Peers including former Party Leaders Paddy Ashdown, Ming Campbell. Also Bill Rodgers who led Lib Dems in the Lords following the 1997 general election and David Steel who led the Liberal party before it merged with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to form the Liberal Democrats.
Ahead of delivering the letter Roger Roberts said: "It is outrageous that David Cameron does not step in to properly protect these children. Instead he offers a shadow of what he should which leaves children suffering and dying across the European continent. There are calls for him to do more in the Commons and there are calls for him to do more in the Lords.
"Cameron is stepping back and relying on others to be the humanitarians that we should be." Roger Roberts added.
The Liberal Democrat Peer's full letter is below:
The letter, written by Liberal Democrat Peer Roger Roberts, highlights that more than 10,000 children have vanished after registering with state authorities. Government inaction has left children fleeing conflict open to sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
Signatories to the letter comprise of more than 100 Liberal Democrat Peers including former Party Leaders Paddy Ashdown, Ming Campbell. Also Bill Rodgers who led Lib Dems in the Lords following the 1997 general election and David Steel who led the Liberal party before it merged with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to form the Liberal Democrats.
Ahead of delivering the letter Roger Roberts said: "It is outrageous that David Cameron does not step in to properly protect these children. Instead he offers a shadow of what he should which leaves children suffering and dying across the European continent. There are calls for him to do more in the Commons and there are calls for him to do more in the Lords.
"Cameron is stepping back and relying on others to be the humanitarians that we should be." Roger Roberts added.
The Liberal Democrat Peer's full letter is below:
Dear Prime Minister,
We the undersigned call upon the Government to fulfil its moral duty to accept 3,000 orphaned child refugees who have fled war, persecution and crippling poverty and made it to European shores.
We welcome the Government’s latest announcement that it will give £10million additional funding to help European efforts to handle the refugee crisis and strengthening family reunion; however, we strongly believe that the British Government must do more and take its fair share of the most vulnerable refugees. Many will have made the treacherous journey alone whilst others will have lost family and loved ones on the way.
You will be aware that Europol, in its first attempt to quantify how many child refugees have disappeared since arriving in Europe, estimated that more than 10,000 children have vanished after registering with state authorities. Unscrupulous criminal gangs and individuals have exploited Government inaction and these children will now be in their clutches subject to sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
We urge the Government to reconsider its offer and open the United Kingdom to 3000 unaccompanied children. This requires political will and bravery but amounts to only 5 children per parliamentary constituency, an amount a country as economically prosperous and generous as Britain can easily manage.
There are families, councils, individuals and organisations in the United Kingdom waiting with open arms to welcome these children, please reconsider.
Yours,
