A backbench business debate on a motion relating to Unaccompanied children in Greece and Italy will be held in the Commons Chamber on Thursday 23 February 2017. The debate will be opened and lead by Alison McGovern, Heidi Allen, Tom Brake and Anne McLaughlin.
Unaccompanied children in Greece and Italy (175 KB , PDF)
The text of the motion is:
That this House has considered the Government’s support for the Syrian refugee crisis; commends the UK on its provision of aid to Syria and the region, the resettlement programmes and support to unaccompanied children in France; acknowledges that in 2016 over 30,000 unaccompanied children arrived by sea in Greece and Italy; notes that only 8 children were transferred from Greece and Italy under the Dublin III Regulation last year and none under the Dubs scheme; expresses disappointment that the Dubs Scheme will be ending after only 350 children benefiting; calls on the Government to work with the Greek and Italian governments to support access to family reunification through Dublin in a timely manner; and calls on the Government to continue to monitor local authority capacity for further transfers of children under the Dubs scheme, consulting with local authorities at least once every financial year.
The original representation to the Backbench Business Committee may be viewed here.
Unaccompanied children in Greece and Italy (175 KB , PDF)
UK-French co-operation over controls at their shared borders has been formalised through a series of bilateral agreements. Most recently, a declaration issued after the UK-France leaders' summit in March 2023 pledged to "drastically reduce" the number of Channel crossings year on year and included related financial commitments for the UK of around £476 million between 2023/24 and 2025/26.
The briefing looks at how asylum delays have changed over time, the possible reasons for the increase in delays, the effect of this on asylum seekers, and the Government's plans to reduce the backlog.
The Illegal Migration Bill 2022-23 was introduced in the Commons on 7 March 2023. Second reading is on 13 March. The Bill seeks to "prevent and deter unlawful migration".
