UK will not let 3,000 child refugees come in from Europe

On Monday night, the United Kingdom Parliament voted against allowing 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees enter to the UK from Europe.

Although some Conservative MPs supported it, the Labour party amendment to the Immigration bill was rejected by 294 to 276 votes.

According to the BBC, Ministers argued that offering sanctuary to lone children who have already reached Europe could mean more fall into the hands of traffickers.

This was dismissed by Liberal Democrat leader and Christian believer Tim Farron as “bogus.”

OTHER GOVERNMENT PLANS

The UK government announced last week it would take in as many as 3,000 refugees, mostly vulnerable children, from the war-torn Syria region by 2020.

But campaigners, including charity Save the Children and Christian organisations, had called for 3,000 unaccompanied children who have already made it into Europe to be allowed into the UK.

‘WE CANNOT NEGELCT MORAL TIES WITH EUROPE’

Krish Kandiah, founder of the Home for Good adoption and fostering charity, wrote at Christian Today on Friday: "The government is refusing to engage with the unaccompanied child refugee crisis in Europe. This may relate to the political hot potato that Europe is at the moment because of the European referendum.”

“But just because we are considering our political and economic ties to Europe, this does not mean that we can neglect our undisputed moral ties with our neighbours.”

Learn more about what Christian experts have to say about the way refugees should be welcomed reading Refugees in Europe series of articles.