Amber Rudd, the home secretary that had one of her speeches reported as a 'hate incident' to the police, is facing staunch criticism from Labour and members of her own party for her decision to close the 'DUBs scheme'. According to a recent report, fifty vulnerable children a day are heading back to 'traffickers and mud in Calais and Dunkirk'.
Criticism from within
Conservative MP, David Burrowes, criticised the government's decision to close the scheme that brings child refugees to the United Kingdom. After stating MPs had 'cut and run from child refugees,' Burrowes accused parliament of 'setting a time limit on compassion'.
Will Quince, a Conservative MP for Colchester, echoed Burrowes statements, branding the decision as 'both sad and disappointing'.
Amber Rudd, answering a question by Yvette Cooper, said: 'We absolutely don't want to incentivise dangerous journies to Europe. We have done everything that we are obliged to do'. Furthermore, the home secretary claimed that the DUBs scheme was 'acting as a magnet for traffickers'. Rudd continued: 'It is clear that France doesn't want us to continue to accept children under the DUBs scheme. I agree with France, the scheme encourages human traffickers to take advantage of vulnerable people'.
Moral hypocrisy
Stella Creasy, Labour MP, said that a recent report had estimated 50 children were now sleeping in the cold mud of Calais because 'the United Kingdom and France have refused to take responsibility for them'.
In a Facebook post expanding on her statement in parliament, Creasy said: 'We all condemned Donald Trump for his executive order yet, a week later, Britain is abandoning vulnerable children'.
Shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, said: 'Can the home secretary answer how she lives with herself, leaving thousands of vulnerable children at risk of disease, trafficking and hopelessness'.
The DUBs scheme was created last year amid calls from the public for Britain to do more for refugees. David Cameron signed the amendment to help 3,000 child refugees but the scheme has been put on hold indefinitely. At this stage, only 350 children have been helped.
