Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the military action in Syria, they have given any consideration to taking more than the 20,000 refugees to which they have already committed.

The UK has committed to resettling 20,000 of the most vulnerable refugees affected by the Syria conflict by the year 2020 through our Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, and we have no plans to increase this at the present time. This commitment is in addition to those we resettle through our Vulnerable Children’s, Gateway and Mandate schemes, and the thousands who receive protection in the UK under normal asylum procedures.

Resettlement is only one part of the solution to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Our priorities are humanitarian aid and actively seeking an end to the conflict in Syria. We believe this approach is the best way to ensure that the UK’s help has the greatest impact for the majority of refugees who remain in the region and their host countries.

We have begun work with key stakeholders and international organisations on our future Asylum and Resettlement Strategy, which includes consideration of the UK’s resettlement offer beyond 2020.