Simon Hart and Stephen Crabb must vote for Safe and Legal Routes for Sanctuary for Refugees

Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire Liberal Democrats have called on Simon Hart and Stephen Crabb to this week vote in favour of safe and legal routes to sanctuary for vulnerable refugees.

In a letter to Stephen Crabb MP, Tina Roberts, Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd spokesperson for Preseli Pembrokeshire, has stated that safe and legal routes are the best way to “combat people smuggling and human trafficking” and to prevent “dangerous attempts to cross the Channel.”

The votes come on Wednesday [04/11/2020] in an amendment to the Immigration Bill just days after four people, including children, tragically lost their lives trying to cross the Channel.

The Liberal Democrats, who are also urging the public to back their petition, want MPs to back proposals that would maintain the rights for refugees in Europe to be reunited with their families and ensure that unaccompanied child refugees can be resettled in the UK.

Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said:

“Within just the last few days, yet more people have tragically lost their lives trying to cross the Channel. It is utterly heartbreaking, especially for the friends and families left behind.

“It’s hard to imagine how desperate people must be to climb into these boats in search of a better life. It just isn’t right that vulnerable people are left no choice but to make these perilous attempts.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Candidate for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Alistair Cameron added:

“Our priority must be to save lives, and that means providing safe and legal routes to sanctuary in the UK for refugees. 

“For Simon Hart and Stephen Crabb, that means doing the only decent thing and voting to maintain the rights for refugees in Europe to be reunited with their families and ensure that unaccompanied child refugees can be resettled in the UK.”

Letter from Alistair Cameron to Simon Hart MP

Seabreak

Pleasant Valley

Rt. Hon. Simon Hart MP Stepaside

15 St John St. Narberth

Whitland SA67 8NY

SA34 0AN

3 November 2020

Dear Simon,

I am writing to urge you to vote on Wednesday in favour of providing safe and legal routes to sanctuary for vulnerable refugees.

That is the best way to combat people smuggling and human trafficking, and to prevent people from making dangerous attempts to cross the Channel.

The tragic deaths of Rasoul Iran-Nejad and Shiva Mohammad Panahi and their young children Anita (nine) and Armin (six) when their boat sank in the Channel this week – and the news that their 15-month-old toddler Artin is missing – are a heartbreaking reminder that we must do far more to save lives.

This was a young family who had fled Iran in search of safety. They hoped to find it here in the UK, a country with a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need.

Refugees who have been forced to flee their homes to escape war and persecution are some of the most vulnerable people in the world. We must do all we can to protect them.

However, as you will know, the Government has suspended all refugee resettlement programmes, and ended the ‘Dubs scheme’ for unaccompanied child refugees in Europe after resettling just 480 children since 2016. It is also withdrawing the UK from the Dublin System, which enables people applying for asylum in the EU to be reunited with their family members in another member state, at the end of the Brexit transition period.

I therefore urge you to vote in favour of retaining Lords Amendment 4b to the Immigration Bill when it returns to the House of Commons on Wednesday. Passed with cross-party support in the House of Lords, it would maintain the rights for refugees in Europe to be reunited with their families and ensure that unaccompanied child refugees can be resettled in the UK.

Of course, this will not be enough on its own. The Government must also reopen the resettlement schemes and make a new, long-term commitment to resettle refugees from areas of conflict. But passing Lords Amendment 4b will be an important step to protect refugees, combat the traffickers and smugglers, and prevent further tragic deaths in the Channel.

Yours sincerely,

Alistair Cameron
Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Candidate for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire