Cameron agrees to take in more unaccompanied child refugees

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Cameron said the UK is already taking child migrants in Europe with a direct family connection to the UK.

“We will speed that up,” he said.

“I am also talking to Save the Children to see what more we can do, particularly with children who came here before the EU-Turkey deal was signed [on 20 March], because I say again that I do not want us to take steps that will encourage people to make this dangerous journey.

“Otherwise, our actions, however well-meaning they will be, could result in more people dying, rather than more people getting a good life.”

Last month the government confirmed it will allow an additional 3,000 refugees, mainly vulnerable children, to be resettled in the UK. However, these children will come from refugee camps outside of Europe.

This is on top of the 20,000 from refugee camps outside of Europe that the government has already committed to help under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS), many of whom are likely to be children.

David Simmonds, chair of the Local Government Association's asylum, refugee and migration task group, said councils have a strong track record of supporting refugees, and are already providing care and support for more than 4,000 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

But he warned that clarity is urgently needed over how councils will pay for the support they will be required to provide.

"Councils stand ready to play their part in supporting these children,” he said.

"However, the government still needs to clarify the long-term funding arrangements for councils looking after unaccompanied children, and provide detail of how a national dispersal mechanism will operate.

“We are already working with government to ensure that unaccompanied children currently in the care of English councils are not disproportionately located in a small number of areas, and that councils taking responsibility for additional children have the necessary resources to properly meet their needs.

"It is therefore vital that the scheme announced today is fully aligned and funded, alongside this and other existing programmes for resettling refugees, ensuring that councils are able to properly support these vulnerable children while continuing to provide vital services for their local community."