Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on allowing more refugees the opportunity to reach the UK safely and legally.

Mr Robert Goodwill

We operate several resettlement schemes that provide safe and legal routes to the United Kingdom for the most vulnerable refugees, including Gateway, Mandate, the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme and the Vulnerable children at risk schemes. In addition, we support the principle of family unity and have several routes to enable refugees and their families to be reunited.

We are under no obligation to consider asylum claims lodged outside UK territory and it would not be appropriate to do so. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.

We believe that seeking protection in the first safe country allows vulnerable people to receive help more quickly rather than risking their lives on hazardous journeys into and across Europe or falling victim to criminal gangs who are exploiting the situation. Providing humanitarian support in the region and working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on resettlement programmes remains the best way to provide much needed support to the majority of those facing persecution who remain in the region.