Britain to take ‘thousands’ more Syrian refugees

Britain will take “thousands more Syrian refugees”, David Cameron has said.

The Prime Minster has said that the refugees will come to Britain “under existing schemes” but did not confirm exactly how many would be helped.

Speaking during a visit to Portugal, Mr Cameron said he would set out details of the plans next week.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary who is running for Labour leader, said that Britain must take 10,000 refugees in the next month. David Miliband, the former Labour foreign secretary and xyz, has said 40,000 would be a fairer figure.

The PM said that Britain was already “providing sanctuary” to around 5,000 refugees from the camps, and had provided around #900 million in aid – more than any other European country.

‘Moral responsibility’

He said Britain had a “moral responsibility” to help refugees.

Mr Cameron said: “We have already accepted around 5,000 Syrians, and we’ve introduced a specific resettlement scheme alongside those we already have to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk.

“As I said earlier this week, we will accept thousands more under these existing schemes, and we keep them under review. Given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of people, today I can announce that we will do more, providing resettlement for thousands more Syrian refugees.

“We will continue with our approach of taking them from the refugee camps. This provides them with a more direct and safe route to the United Kingdom, rather than risking the hazardous journey which has tragically cost so many their lives.”

Mr Cameron said details of the scheme would be announced next week, after discussions with NGOs and other partners, and Britain would act with “our head and our heart”.

Coffins of drowned boys arrive in Istanbul

The comments come a the coffins containing the bodies of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, his five-year-old brother Galip and their mother Rehan who drowned off the coast of Turkey have arrived in Istanbul.

The photograph of the small child washed up on a beach in Turkey has sparked outrage across the world.

Abduallah Kurdi, the boy’s father, said he plans to return to their home in Kobani, in war-torn Syria, to bury his family.

Bob Geldof says he will take four refugee families

Bob Gedolf, the singer and campaigner, has offered to take in four families after describing the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe as a “sickening disgrace”. He said he was prepared to open his family home in Kent and his London flat to fleeing refugees.

He said the image and other reports detailing the plight of refugees in other borders and cities were a source of “profound shame”.
Geldof told Ireland’s RTE Radio: “I can’t stand what is happening. I cannot stand what it does to us.”