TONIA ANTONIAZZI MP
  • Home
  • About Tonia
    • In Parliament
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Speeches
    • PubAid
    • Newsletter
  • How I Can Help
    • Get in touch
    • Advice Surgeries
    • Wider Support
    • Office Conduct

Families are split across Europe. The UK should be doing much more to help unaccompanied child refugees.

13/4/2022

 
Picture
With the end of the Dublin Regulation in the UK and the closure of the Dubs scheme, I am deeply concerned about the lack of new proposals to provide safe and legal routes for unaccompanied child refugees.

The Government is legislating for significant changes to the UK’s asylum system through the Nationality and Borders Bill. I have opposed this Bill at every opportunity as I do not believe it deals with the fundamental issues in our asylum system. It proposes unworkable solutions that will cost the taxpayer and it undermines international humanitarian conventions at a time when cooperation is needed more than ever.

We know that a lack of safe routes leads to more people, including many children, risking their lives by making dangerous journeys. Despite the Government noting the importance of safe and legal routes, the Dubs scheme was shamefully closed after accepting just 480 unaccompanied children rather than the 3,000 expected.
​
The Labour opposition proposed several amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill during its consideration in the House of Commons on 7-8 December 2021, including amendments to reintroduce a safe route for unaccompanied children, expand family reunion for unaccompanied children, and mandate the negotiation of a new asylum agreement with the EU including safe, legal routes and safe returns. Sadly, the Government made its opposition to all these amendments clear, and they were not added to the Bill.

However, Lords Dubs subsequently tabled an amendment to the Bill to require the Government to allow unaccompanied children in European countries to come to the UK to join family members here. I am pleased that this amendment passed the House of Lords with Opposition support. I voted to keep this amendment when the Bill returned to the House of Commons on 22 March. Disappointingly, the Government again rejected it. However, on 4 April, the House of Lords voted for a reworded amendment, meaning MPs will have another opportunity to vote on it.

Families are split across Europe, and children who seek safety with family members are at very high risk of taking dangerous journeys across the Channel and elsewhere to be reunited with their loved ones. The Government should no longer turn its back on unaccompanied child refugees and young people in need of protection.

I will continue to press for more action to ensure vulnerable children are protected from exploitation and suffering.

Comments are closed.

    News Archive

    January 2025
    December 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017

    Categories

    All
    Abortion
    Animals
    APPG's
    Armed Forces
    Assisted Dying
    Asylum Seekers And Refugees
    Banks
    BBC
    Cancer
    Charity
    Christmas
    Christmas Hamper Campaign
    Climate Change & The Environment
    Committees
    Cost Of Living
    Crime
    Culture
    Development
    Devolved Matters
    Education
    Employment
    Endometriosis
    Energy
    Energy Bills
    Equality
    EU
    Family
    Gorseinon
    Guide Dogs
    Health
    High Street
    International
    IWD
    Macmillan
    Medical Cannabis
    Mental Health
    Money
    Northern Ireland
    Parliament
    Pension Credit
    Retail
    Save Our Cash
    Sharing Table
    Shoplifting
    Speeches
    Sport
    Surfers Against Sewage
    Trade Unions
    Trophy Hunting
    Universal Credit
    Veterans
    Weekly Update
    Westminster Hall
    Women

Privacy policy
Promoted by David Evans on behalf of the Labour Party, 20 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0SS
  • Home
  • About Tonia
    • In Parliament
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Speeches
    • PubAid
    • Newsletter
  • How I Can Help
    • Get in touch
    • Advice Surgeries
    • Wider Support
    • Office Conduct