Syria refugees: Minister refuses to give MPs UK numbers

Richard Harrington gave evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee

Minister for refugees Richard Harrington has refused to tell MPs how many Syrian refugees are in Britain.

He told the chair of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, Keith Vaz, that he knew the total so far, but was not prepared to give a "running commentary" on refugee numbers.

He also said the next figures are due to be published at the end of November.

Mr Vaz said he would write to the prime minister to obtain the number because of Mr Harrington's failure to answer.

He also told Mr Harrington it was "unsatisfactory" that he would not divulge the number of Syrians who have come to the UK.

The government's Vulnerable People Relocation Scheme, launched in January 2014, has seen at least 216 Syrians come to Britain, according to the last published figures.

But Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that 20,000 refugees would be brought from refugee camps in countries bordering Syria into the UK by 2020.

Citizens UK, which helps communities organise group action, has urged the prime minister to ensure 1,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees are resettled in the UK before winter sets in.

When asked about the refugee numbers, Mr Harrington said: "It's my job to know and it's my job to make sure that the flow of refugees under this humanitarian system is to be greatly increased.

"I would say the pace people are arriving is much the same as it's been over the last few months, and now it's gathering traction.

"I'm very happy to be judged on the numbers when the scheme that the prime minister announced and I'm putting in place comes into fruition."

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The government has previously said it has been at the forefront of the global response to the crisis in Syria, a result of a civil war between the government led by President Assad and various rebel groups.

In addition to offering to accept 20,000 refugees, the UK has provided £1bn in aid to Syria, with an extra £100m given to charities to help thousands of people displaced by the conflict.

Mr Harrington said "three or four" local authorities had taken Syrians, since David Cameron announced the UK would take people from camps.

Mr Vaz said he had calculated that meeting the 20,000 target would require an average of about 350 arrivals each month, a figure which Mr Harrington said would be "very reasonable".

Mr Vaz later clarified that the correct number was 384 per month.

However, Mr Harrington added: "I would just like to make it clear that whilst the mathematical correction is correct, in practice some quarters may be up and some quarters may be down. I don't think it's right to judge on a short period of time."

Leading former judges and lawyers have criticised the government's response to the migrant crisis, calling it "slow and narrow".

Lord Phillips, former UK Supreme Court head, and Lord Macdonald, ex-director of public prosecutions, are among 300 to sign an open letter on the issue.

They say the offer to accept 20,000 refugees over five years is not enough.

Facts about the Vulnerable People Relocation Scheme

• People are given housing from their first day, along with access to medical care and education and they can work

• Refugees taken into the UK via this scheme will be granted five years' humanitarian protection which includes access to public funds, the labour market and the possibility of family reunion, if a person was split up from their partner or child when leaving their country

• After those five years they can apply to settle in the UK

• Mr Cameron said the scheme would be funded for the first 12 months by the government