Gavin Newlands: UK must not shirk responsibility to refugees
Theresa May must not shirk the UK’s responsibility to ending Europe’s refugee crisis, the SNP has said as the UN marks World Humanitarian Day on Friday 19th August. The Tory Prime Minister opposed accepting the UK’s fair share of Syrian refugees, including lone children, while Home Secretary – despite fully supporting the bombing campaign in Syria. Scotland has led the way on the resettlement of refugees, with new figures showing that 38% of those resettled in the UK were in Scotland. Commenting, Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North said: “As the UN marks World Humanitarian Day, the humanitarian crisis in Syria continues to have a profound impact on Europe and the Middle East – a situation that requires cooperation across Europe. “We should be proud that Scotland and Renfrewshire has welcomed well above our population share of Syrian refugees, with over 900 people resettled in Scotland since last October. I am especially proud that Renfrewshire has resettled the most people out of any local authority in Scotland, taking in 77 refugees. This approach stands in stark contrast with Theresa May’s record as Home Secretary, where she opposed the UK taking its fair share of refugees. “The Tories must not be allowed to use Brexit as an opportunity to shirk their responsibilities even further – and at the exact point when we should be working across Europe to find a sustainable solution to this huge humanitarian challenge.”
