28/04/2016
The Rt Rev Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, said: "I welcome the Daily Mail's call today for unaccompanied child refugees to be offered asylum. Unless they are offered help and hope, children at risk will fall victim to trafficking and all kinds of evil. As a nation we must show kindness and compassion to children at risk, playing our part in offering proper refuge to those already in Europe whose lives are deeply traumatised.
"There is now a broad coalition for action, and the House of Lords latest amendment offers a clear way forward for the Government. When even trenchant supporters of very restrictive immigration rules call on them to accept this amendment, I hope the Government will recognise that it is time for them to agree to this proposal."
Notes to editors
Bishop Paul is one of the Lords Spiritual and has previously spoken on the issue of children at risk. On April 15 he told Christian Today: "The UK needs to accept its moral responsibility to offer a safe haven to the world's poorest and most vulnerable - men, women and children who have been made homeless by war, violence and disasters."