REVEALED: UK government scraps ‘Syrian refugees minister’ role

The British government has sparked criticism for abolishing the so-called "minister for Syrian refugees" created last year to oversee the relocation of Syrian refugees to the UK and aid programmes for those in the Middle East.

Theresa May, the new prime minister, reassigned Richard Harrington from under secretary of state for Syrian refugees to become the junior minister responsible for pensions. His old position has been left vacant - an effective abolition. 

Harrington's move came on the last day of parliamentary business - the same day the British government quietly scrapped pledge to relocate child refugees from prison-style immigration detention centres, where they are currently held.  

On Friday, Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill announced the closure of the existing detention facilities and the transfer of families to a closed immigration removal centre.

Harrington was given the now-abolished job by former prime minister David Cameron last year at the height of the refugee crisis to oversee the “Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme” that would relocate 20,000 refugees to the UK by 2020.

Both moves were condemned by opposition parties and humanitarian groups.

Tim Farron, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: “The new prime minister had a chance to step up and change the Tories' position on the humanitarian crisis in Syria [but] the first signs of failure are already there.

"It looks like their fate and the fate of millions of other vulnerable refugees seeking shelter and security will be even worse under May.”

Lisa Doyle, who heads advocacy for the Refugee Council, told Middle East Eye: “What’s more important than reshuffles and rhetoric are the concrete steps and action the government takes to make a practical difference to refugees’ lives.

“There is certainly an urgent need for the government is to stick to its word that it will take a more holistic approach to refugee protection and integration. At the moment too many people are falling through the gaps and are left facing homelessness and hunger while different departments refuse to take responsibility for them."

The move was also criticised from within May's Conservative party, with MP Hedi Allen, who campaigned for the government to accept more Syrian refugees, calling the move a threat to the "incredible hard work and progress we made".

“We can’t forget about those poor, poor individuals now while we’re busy navel-gazing ourselves about how our role is going to be within the global place. So yes, actions need to speak louder than words.”

It is likely that Harrington's old responsibilities will be be reassigned to Robert Goodwill, the immigration minister, whose remit also includes asylum seekers. 

The UK has committed more than £2.3bn to helping refugees in Syria and the Middle East since the start of the country's war - making it the second largest bilateral donor to the refugee crisis.

However, it has filled only 1,000 of the 20,000 relocation slots under its Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.

According to the British government, Syrians were the sixth largest group to apply for asylum to the UK in the year ending March 2016. 

In May last year, the British government agreed to a scheme to re-house lone child refugees coming to the UK from refugee camps in Europe and the Middle East. 

The Home Office did not respond to a request for comment by Middle East Eye.
 

This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.