Unaccompanied Children (Greece and Italy)

Debate between Baroness Morgan of Cotes and Robert Goodwill

Thursday 23rd February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Goodwill]

I will give way to the hon. Lady behind me.

[Nicky Morgan (Loughborough) (Con)]

“My right hon. Friend”, I hope. May I take the Minister back to his point about the number of Home Office staff in France, Greece and Italy? I think he was saying that he wanted staff to help with the scheme, but he mentioned in a meeting that I had with him that only one staff member was out there. If there were more staff, there would be more confidence that the right children were being referred under the scheme.

[Mr Goodwill]

We have 115 staff in Greece helping the Greek authorities in several areas, not least the successful operation of the EU-Turkey agreement that is preventing children from making perilous journeys.