Save the Children’s response to Theresa May’s comments on migration ahead of the United Nations General Assembly

Monday, 19 September 2016

Kirsty McNeill, Director of Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Save the Children, said:

"Today global leaders are meeting to discuss a refugee crisis that has seen the largest movement of people since World War II. The Prime Minister is right that there needs to be a well-ordered system, but we urgently need to see concrete proposals to ensure desperate children and families are not forced to run a dangerous gauntlet in search of safety. Without any real alternative, people will continue to risk their lives in flimsy boats or turn to criminal gangs.

“The UK has committed to providing a safe passage to 20,000 vulnerable Syrians, but if the Prime Minister is serious about helping the most vulnerable she should work with other leaders to agree a global resettlement pledge at this summit. That would entail countries working together to offer sanctuary to refugees from around the world, through a significant increase in resettlement places and additional measures such as humanitarian visas, private sponsorship and family reunification.

“Until responsibility for resettling refugees is shared more fairly, many of the ‘first safe countries’ vulnerable children and families reach will struggle to cope and we will continue to see people forced to continue on with perilous journeys in search of sanctuary.”

For more information or interviews with spokespeople, please contact the media team on +44 207 012 6841 or +44 207 012 6841 (out of hours) / r.villar@savethechildren.org.uk