Steve McCabe – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what priority is being given to abandoned and orphaned children in the selection of Syrian refugees likely to be offered a new home in the UK.

Richard Harrington

The Syrian VPR is based on need. It prioritises those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin. We work closely with the UNHCR to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement and we will continue this work to ensure we deliver our commitment to provide refuge to 20,000 Syrians.

The UNHCR identifies people in need of resettlement based on the following criteria: women and girls at risk; survivors of violence and/or torture; refugees with legal and/or physical protection needs; refugees with medical needs or disabilities; children and adolescents at risk; persons at risk due to their sexual orientation or gender identity; and refugees with family links in resettlement countries.

We are not expecting the refugees arriving in the first months of the scheme to include unaccompanied children.