Refugee crisis: ‘UK must accept 3,000 children at risk from prostitution and drug trade’

Britain should welcome thousands of vulnerable child refugees from Europe on top of its existing commitments, an influential group of MPs has said. The international development committee (IDC) warned unaccompanied children fleeing conflict-torn countries like Syria were at risk of being forced into prostitution, child labour and the drugs trade.

 

The cross-party group urged the government to “urgently” fulfil calls by charity Save the Children to accept 3,000 more child refugees on top of its current pledge to resettle 20,000 refugees. In a report published on 5 January, the IDC warned that 7.6million Syrian children were currently in need of humanitarian assistance, close to 80% of the country’s child population.

 

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