David Cameron’s response to the refugee and migrant crisis has been criticised as being “too slow” and “clearly inadequate” by 27 leading charities.
In a joint letter coordinated by the British Refugee Council, the group of charities, which includes Oxfam, Amnesty International and the International Rescue Committee, called on the Prime Minister to allow more people through the UK’s ever-tightening borders and for Britain to take a “fair and proportionate” share of refugees.
The letter urged the Conservative Party leader to show a “new resolve” to deal with the crisis, during the course of which almost 4,000 refugees died in 2015.
“Last year saw 3,770 people drown and hundreds of thousands more endure a desperate march of misery across the continent.
“Last year’s announcement that the UK will resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years was a welcome first step,” said the letter, which went on: “But given the numbers of people searching for safety across the globe, this response is clearly inadequate: it is too slow, too low and too narrow.”
Other groups to have signed the open letter include Christian Aid, Cafod, Greenpeace, Islamic Relief, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, Liberty and World Vision.
It calls on the Government to do “much more” to ensure refugees are not “compelled to take life-threatening journeys or forced into smugglers’ hands.”
Refugee Council spokesman Maurice Wren told the BBC that there are “no easy answers” to a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude.
“However, the solution must not be to spend another year impassively watching on while desperate people drown or are forced to endure a march of misery across the continent as they try to find a safe haven or to be reunited with their loved ones.
“This year the prime minister must open his heart and show true statesmanship by welcoming far more refugees to the UK, enabling them to travel here safely and legally to live lives free from violence, tyranny and oppression.”
A Government spokeswoman said: “The United Kingdom has a long and proud history of offering sanctuary to those who genuinely need our protection, with each claim for asylum judged on its individual merits.
“The terrible images we have seen in the last year have moved us all, strengthening our resolve to help prevent more people suffering such a fate. “The terrible images we have seen in the last year have moved us all, strengthening our resolve to help prevent more people suffering such a fate.
“That is why we are resettling people directly from the countries neighbouring Syria, to which so many refugees have fled, and we have already met our target of welcoming 1,000 of the most vulnerable before Christmas.
“The UK is also playing a leading role providing life-saving aid to those most in need, both in the Syrian region, where we have pledged over £1.1 billion in humanitarian aid, and in Europe. It is essential that we focus our support where we can make the biggest impact.”
Set against David Cameron’s offer to resettle 20,000 specifically Syrian refugees over five years, Germany managed to process that many from various countries in one busy weekend and has said could take over a million over the next year.
The UK has also refused to accept refugees who have travelled to European under their own steam and is only relocating people from camps near the Syrian conflict zone.
Additionally, Britain has refused to take part in an EU refugee scheme to redistribute people claiming refuge in southern European countries, where services are already at breaking point.
Ministers have previously said they believe provision for refugees coming to Europe – including search and rescue cover for those travelling by boat – would encourage more people to make the journey.
Mr Cameron is currently in Germany to make a fresh appeal for Chancellor Merkel’s support over changes he is seeking to the European Union, suggesting they are key to the UK’s membership. The Prime Minister intends to argue that his desired changes would benefit Europe’s largest economy as well as the UK.
Mr Cameron is pushing for an EU-wide agreement at a summit next month.
