Refugee Crisis: European Anti-migrant Parties

Lord Pearson of Rannoch Excerpts

Wednesday 16th March 2016 Lords Chamber

[The Earl of Courtown]

My Lords, as most people in the House will realise, I find it a great honour to be part of this Government. The noble Lord referred to the refugees in Syria. We should also congratulate the Turkish people on all that they have done over this period; they have nearly 3 million refugees in their country. I do not think that I need to draw the attention of the House to this, but I will all the same. At the Syria conference at the beginning of February, €11 billion was raised in a day—the largest amount ever raised in a day for refugees. The UK pledged £2.3 billion. At the Valletta summit £200 million in bilateral aid was pledged to Africa, including £65 million humanitarian assistance as part of our response, £10 million of which is allocated to refugee children in Europe.

[Lord Pearson of Rannoch (UKIP)]

My Lords, do the elections in Germany and elsewhere in the EU not just show that democracy is at last starting to take over from the failed corporatist project of European integration? The quicker that that is abandoned, surely the better.

[The Earl of Courtown]

Democracy, to which the noble Lord referred, is the bedrock of this country as well but I would never dream of commenting on or advising on what has happened in Germany.