'We should be ashamed': Lord Dubs berates UK ministers over Lesbos refugees

A Labour peer who masterminded a change in the law that forced the government to give sanctuary to child asylum seekers has branded the UK’s lack of action over a devastating fire at a migrant camp in Greece an “absolute disgrace”.

Alf Dubs, a former child refugee, called on the government to follow the lead of other European nations and take in some of the thousands of asylum seekers left without shelter following the blaze on the Greek island of Lesbos.

His calls have been backed by Yvette Cooper, the chair of the influential home affairs select committee.

Two weeks have past since the fire tore through the Moria registration and identification centre (RIC), incinerating tents that had been home to 13,000 people, including at least 4,000 children.

Germany has agreed to take in a total of 1,553 people from 408 families whose protected status has been confirmed by Greek authorities, while France has also offered to provide refuge to unaccompanied children from the destroyed camp.

Speaking to the Guardian about the UK response, Lord Dubs said: “I’m very disappointed. It would not take much of a humanitarian gesture to say to the Greek government, we’re going to share responsibility and bring some of them over.”

“We should be ashamed that we’re not responding, it’s an absolute disgrace.”

Dubs said he visited the camp on Lesbos two years ago and said the centre, which was designed for 2,000 people but held more than 10,000, was “a powder keg waiting to blow up long before the fire”.

The UK government already has legislation in place that could be used to bring children over from Lesbos, Dubs said, or it could offer one-off humanitarian assistance.

The dire situation underlines the threat to EU family reunion laws that are set to expire when the transition period for the UK’s departure from the EU ends on 31 December, he said.

The powers – under the so-called Dublin III regulation – would allow for the UK government to transfer children on Lesbos to the UK if they have relatives in the country.

The EU has rejected the UK’s proposal for an alternative to the Dublin regulation. Dubs has tabled an amendment to the government’s immigration bill designed to ensure the rules continue. He hopes it will be voted through the Lords soon.

There are also powers introduced by an amendment to UK laws, again tabled by Lord Dubs, that required the Home Office to accept an unspecified number of unaccompanied child refugees from Europe. The process was subsequently referred to as the Dubs scheme.

The government capped the scheme at 480 children, although there was no legal requirement to do this. The cap has been met so the scheme has in effect ended. However, the legislation remains open.

Cooper told the Guardian: “All countries should be doing their bit to help vulnerable children and the UK should use the well-established Dubs scheme and Dublin arrangements in order to do so.

“Alf Dubs is right – the UK has a long history of helping child and teen refugees going back to the Kindertransport. The government stopped the Dubs scheme prematurely last year and the Dublin arrangements to help reunite child refugees with their family are about to be closed down.

“The simplest thing to do would be to use both those schemes to help children and teenagers left alone and homeless after the Moria fire.”

While the UK and other countries watch on, police are forcibly moving people on Lesbos into a temporary facility outside the port town of Mytilene.

Dubs said: “It’s left us out on a limb, as if we’re not willing to be humanitarian anymore.”

A government spokesperson said: “Throughout the pandemic the UK has remained ready to receive those accepted for transfer under the Dublin III regulation, including unaccompanied children. We remain in regular contact with sending member states, including Greece, who are responsible for arranging transfers.”