Stroud MP Neil Carmichael votes to reject plan for Britain to accept 3,000 Syrian child refugees from EU

The Conservative was one of 294 MPs who voted in the majority to reject the amendment to the Government’s Immigration Bill on Monday night.

The revision would have seen the UK take in 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees currently in refugee camps in EU states.

The government narrowly defeated the bill by 294 to 276, claiming the plan would create a ‘pull factor’ that would encourage more people traffickers to send children on the dangerous journey to Europe.

Mr Carmichael said that while action needed to be taken to tackle the migration crisis, Britain needed to its “head as well as our heart”.

He said the government’s plans to take 3000 extra vulnerable children from nearer the conflict zones – rather than those already in Europe – was the best option.

“I entirely recognise the need for the Government to do more to respond to the continuing migration crisis and those affected by this appalling situation,” he said.

“As the Government stated last Friday, it has established a new resettlement scheme, focused on children at risk in the Middle East and Africa, supported by UNHCR which will see 3,000 children relocated to the UK over the next four years – in addition to the existing commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrians.

“Our focus has been on effective measures and not to make matters worse by encouraging people traffickers.

“This is not easy and we have to use our head as well as our heart.

“I believe the approach set out by the Government provides the best way to support our European partners and focus our aid on the most vulnerable in the conflict region.”

But politicians and refugee charities in Stroud immediately criticised the decision.

Jeannie Etherton from RefugeeAid-Stroud (RAS) said she found the decision “both abhorrent and shameful”.

She has been part of the volunteers group in Stroud that have been running a pop-up shop and holding fundraising events over the past few months to support refugees across Europe.

“These children are highly traumatised and need a place to feel safe and cared for,” she said.

“But our local MP, who is supposed to represent the people, has voted for the notion that we should only help children in Syria and that to help refugees in Europe, whether children or adult, is to encourage more to attempt the dangerous journey from their war-torn homes.

“We should be welcoming them with open arms. They are children, the victims of an adult war, with nowhere to call home and no close family or primary carers.”

The amendment to the bill had been proposed by Labour’s Lord Dubs, who himself arrived in Britain as a child refugee fleeing the Holocaust in the 1930s.

Lis Parker, another volunteer at the charity, said: “During the Second World War children were rescued from countries that were being bombed and brought to England.

“Those people were applauded for their heroism. Why have we hardened our hearts towards others who are suffering? Where is that courage today?”

Stroud resident Clare Honeyfield called the vote “heart-breaking”.

“Our MP voted against taking in unaccompanied children of war who are living alone in dangerous conditions,” she said.

“He does not represent the views of his constituents when voting. Who could turn down caring for children? It's heart-breaking.”

Cllr Steve Lydon (Labour/The Stanleys) said: “I am simply astounded by our MP’s latest actions in Parliament.

"This was about giving safe refuge to 3,000 unaccompanied children — that’s just 5 per constituency — from a war-torn country.

"Five unaccompanied children fleeing death and destruction, who would have been granted a chance of peace and prosperity here in Stroud.

"Yet with just one vote in Parliament, Mr Carmichael has turned his back on these children, and I believe history will judge both him and his colleagues on their frankly despicable actions."

Sarah Lunnon, Green Party county councillor for Stroud Central, said: “The importance of the security and safety of our family, friends and communities are what connects us across social divisions, nationalities and religions.

“To look at those who have lost all this and to turn away from offering help, help to lost and distraught children is difficult to understand.

“If I had been elected to represent Stroud as its MP I would have supported these children.”

Only a handful of Conservative MPs voted in favour of accepting the child refugees.

The amendment was backed by Labour, the SNP and Liberal Democrats.

Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk and Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton Brown were also among those to vote down the amendment.

Stroud District Council has voted to welcome up to ten Syrian refugee families to the district. The first family is expected to arrive in May.