Turkey-Greece Border: Refugees

Thangam Debbonaire Excerpts
Tuesday 10th March 2020

(4 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nigel Adams Portrait Nigel Adams
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We keep such matters under constant review, and the Foreign Secretary is due to meet Foreign Ministers from the region shortly. I am sure there will come a point when an update to the House will follow.

Thangam Debbonaire Portrait Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)
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The Minister has mentioned resettlement, and I am glad to hear the commitment to 5,000 places under the resettlement scheme, but I have two questions. What are his Government currently doing to improve access to the resettlement scheme on the ground? I have heard from refugee NGOs that it can be very difficult to get on to the scheme. Also, has the Home Secretary continued negotiations with the EU on the unaccompanied children about whom we have heard so much? We have heard about a letter, but what else has happened?

Nigel Adams Portrait Nigel Adams
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Progress is being made with participating states. We are working very closely with the UNHCR on the referral and transfer of more eligible children, and those transfers continue.