Freedom from Torture statement on government announcement of support for unaccompanied child refugees

 Susan Munroe, Chief Executive of Freedom from Torture, said:

“Today the UK government has rightly recognised that it is usually in the best interest of unaccompanied refugee children to be reunited with family in the UK. We cannot leave these children, many of whom are torture survivors, to suffer further trauma and exploitation while they are on the move in Europe and beyond. But it is time to turn words into action. 

We remain concerned that among these unaccompanied children there is a largely hidden group who have survived or witnessed torture, including of family members. We urge the Government to ensure that some of the £10million that it has pledged will be used to identify this particularly vulnerable group and ensure that they receive the appropriate specialist services they need to support their rehabilitation, if necessary, in the UK.

We welcome the very slight expansion of resettlement from conflict regions but we know that the UK can do more. At a time when we reflect on historical acts of genocide and displacement, it does not do us justice as a nation to make such a modest contribution to the global protection effort.”