As politicians knock to and fro on the subject of
“British values”, it is no fond myth to cite a readiness to open our borders to
ordinary men and women in the hour of their greatest need. This particular
branch of national history, however, is unlikely to get top billing in any
Tory-led campaign: new figures reveal that, since the Government’s resettlement
programme was launched in January, a mere 24 Syrians have arrived in this
country through it. Not enough to fill a bus.
It took a concerted campaign – led by this newspaper, among others – to convince the Coalition to commit to any resettlement in the first place. The UN’s request that Britain join other rich nations in an international programme to rehouse 10,000 Syrian refugees had fallen on deaf ears. Following appeals from Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs – as well as rebels within the Tory party and, indeed Nigel Farage – the Coalition belatedly announced it would establish its own resettlement programme, running alongside the UN’s, with up to 500 refugees permitted entry.
Sluggishness in committing to action has, it appears, transferred to the action itself. The Home Office now claims that the “hundreds” figure announced by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, will only be met over three years. At the current rate of progress, Britain will scrape over the 200 mark by the end of 2016.
It took a concerted campaign – led by this newspaper, among others – to convince the Coalition to commit to any resettlement in the first place. The UN’s request that Britain join other rich nations in an international programme to rehouse 10,000 Syrian refugees had fallen on deaf ears. Following appeals from Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs – as well as rebels within the Tory party and, indeed Nigel Farage – the Coalition belatedly announced it would establish its own resettlement programme, running alongside the UN’s, with up to 500 refugees permitted entry.
Sluggishness in committing to action has, it appears, transferred to the action itself. The Home Office now claims that the “hundreds” figure announced by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, will only be met over three years. At the current rate of progress, Britain will scrape over the 200 mark by the end of 2016.
