London, January 29 (RHC)-- The British Home Office has announced plans to allow in more unaccompanied refugee children from Syria and other conflict zones. The government has not specified as how many children will be accepted. According to British media reports, the Home Office will work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to identify such cases from camps in Syria and neighboring countries.
Britain has already allowed some 1,000 refugees out of 20,000 it pledged from Syria by the year 2020. Under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Program launched last year, London promised to take in refugees from the Middle East camps. However, campaign groups have been calling on the government to allow at least 3,000 "incredibly vulnerable" children from groups already arrived in European countries.
Apart from Britain’s pledge and monetary help of about £10m for vulnerable refugee minors, Prime Minister David Cameron has come under pressure from opposition lawmakers and those from within his own party, to do more. While Labour warned about a "false distinction between refugees in the region and refugees in Europe," UKIP said £10m was a "minuscule amount."
Opposition lawmakers in the UK want the government to do more for refugees.
Cameron has also been urged to prioritize children who have been separated from their families during deadly conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The figure of 3,000 child refugees was originally proposed by Save the Children. The charity said it would represent a "fair share" for the UK of the estimated 26,000 children who arrived in Europe in 2015 without any family.