All 1 Debates between Joanna Cherry and Helen Grant

Refugee Crisis in Europe

Debate between Joanna Cherry and Helen Grant
Tuesday 8th September 2015

(9 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Joanna Cherry Portrait Joanna Cherry
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I do not think it is unfair to draw an unfavourable comparison with the generous response of the Germans. I accept that they have a rather different history from us—there are many reasons for that. We have benefited in the past—

Helen Grant Portrait Mrs Helen Grant (Maidstone and The Weald) (Con)
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Will the hon. and learned Lady give way?

Joanna Cherry Portrait Joanna Cherry
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Let me answer this point. We have benefited in the past from being an island that is separate from the rest of Europe and perhaps we have not experienced a refugee crisis, although many people were forced to leave my country of Scotland as a result of the clearances, people had to leave Ireland as a result of the potato famine, and people have had to leave England and Wales as a result of extreme poverty. We have therefore experienced some of these pressures—

Helen Grant Portrait Mrs Grant
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Will the hon. and learned Lady give way?

Joanna Cherry Portrait Joanna Cherry
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I would like to make some progress, because I am nearly finished and I am conscious that a lot of other people wish to speak.

The Prime Minister came to the Dispatch Box yesterday and presented a wholly inadequate response to a truly horrific humanitarian crisis. The point I wish to make is that the international community has not thought twice about stepping up to the table and helping share the burden of refugees. That is why I have listed so many countries other than Germany that have been stepping up to the plate in the past few hours. It is a striking fact that halfway around the world from Syria, Brazil has taken in 2,000 Syrian refugees since the start of the conflict in 2011.