Members of the United Kingdom's Parliament just voted against accepting 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children into the country that are stranded in other parts of Europe. 

By a narrow majority of 18 votes, the House of Commons  decided to reject a proposal to welcome vulnerable child refugees, who are alone and in need of a home. 

Yesterday’s vote follows months of campaigning led by Save the Children, calling for the British government to take in a proportion of the child refugees who are currently stranded in continental Europe, separated from, or without, their families. 

The proposal was first put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs, who himself received sanctuary in Britain via the Kindertransport - the revered rescue route that brought thousands of Jewish children to the UK from Nazi Germany during the Second World War. 

The defeat is disappointing. While the UK is doing an important job in providing humanitarian assistance in the Syria region, its response to the European refugee crisis is inadequate. 

Last year, 95,000 refugee children are believed to have applied for asylum in Europe. And according to estimates by the EU’s criminal intelligence agency, 10,000 refugee children are currently missing in Europe - with fears that many have fallen victim to criminal gangs. 

The UK can do much more to protect these children.

Those who voted against the proposal (read the full list of how MPs voted here) argue that offering asylum to these child refugees would create a ‘pull factor’ - encouraging families to send their children on dangerous solo journeys into Europe. This argument echoes the UK government’s 2014 decision to abandon funding for search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, along with other EU countries. Scaling back life-saving support for refugees did not stop people seeking safety in Europe. Instead, hundreds of people continued to drown as they attempted to cross the sea before EU member states agreed to step up their response to the mounting tragedy.

The lives of child refugees must not be put at risk in the same way. Every child deserves a safe home. So campaigners and MPs who voted in favour of the amendment to the bill will put forward an alternative bid to be debated in the House of Lords on Tuesday.

“This problem isn’t going away, it is getting worse,” said  Kirsty McNeill, Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at Save the Children UK.  “As this legislation returns to the House of Lords, parliament still has a chance to live up to Britain’s proud history of reaching out a hand to the most vulnerable children who need our help.”

Sign this petition to join the thousands calling for Britain to make refugee children welcome. 

TopicsCitizenshipUKEuropeIdeasSave the ChildrenEuropean UnionRefugee CrisisUK ParliamentEuropean Refugee Crisis#3000childrenKindertransport

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Demand Equity

How can the UK stand by and leave 3,000 refugee children alone in Europe?

By Yosola Olorunshola