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Old November 28th, 2015 #61
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Post (Video) Former UK Ambassador to Syria: Cameron was criminally deceitful about 'moderate' rebels in his speech/appeal to the UK parliament for a Syrian intervention.


read full article at source: http://youtu.be/Hh1BbvbMOp4
 
Old November 28th, 2015 #62
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Post Not in my name - thousands protest in London against air strikes on Syria

AROUND 4,000 PEOPLE joined a protest in London this afternoon against Britain potentially joining air strikes against Isis in Syria.

Parliament is expected to vote on the issue next week after Prime Minister David Cameron pushed MPs to back the move in the wake of this month’s Paris attacks.

The demonstration was organised by the Stop The War Coalition protest movement.

Its chairman Andrew Murray urged demonstrators to “stand behind” Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, himself a former Stop the War Coalition chairman, in opposing air strikes.

George Galloway addressing attendees at today's Stop The War protest in London Source: Hannah McKay

“This is a conflict that cannot and will not be solved by bombing,” Murray told the crowd.

One demonstrator, 65-year-old John Offen, said he and others were worried about a “lack of planning” in the proposed military action.

“We’ve had adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he added, referring to Britain’s role in previous conflicts. “We’ve destabilised all these countries.”

“I don’t think this is the way to support our friends in France,” Rylance, star of miniseries Wolf Hall and Steven Spielberg blockbuster Bridge of Spies, told reporters.

Britain is already involved in air strikes against Isis jihadists in Iraq but has not so far taken part in bombing the group’s positions in Syria.

Cameron’s previous government suffered a humiliating defeat in 2013 over military action against Syria’s Assad regime and did not push joining air strikes in Syria to a vote last year, amid resistance from Labour.

Corbyn is facing deep splits in his party over the looming vote.

He opposes air strikes while many of his MPs are in favour and he must decide imminently whether to let individual lawmakers vote with their consciences or try and force them to oppose it.

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read full article at source: http://www.thejournal.ie/syrian-prot...72109-Nov2015/
 
Old November 28th, 2015 #63
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Post Eleven Syrian families resettled from camps in Jordan set to arrive in NI, they will be split between Londonderry and Belfast and half are under 18

Eleven refugee families - a total of 51 people - are set to arrive in Northern Ireland on 15 December, the first and deputy first ministers have said.

Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness said the first group to be resettled will be based in Belfast, and a second group will go to Londonderry.

Half of the "highly traumatised" people due to arrive are under 16 years old, Mr McGuinness added.

The UK is due to accept 20,000 refugees from Syria over the next five years.

Speaking after a meeting of the British Irish Council in London, Mr McGuinness said: "I don't have any doubt whatsoever, if they choose to continue to live in the north of Ireland they will enrich our lives."

First Minister Peter Robinson said: "We want to see them assimilated into our society - we don't want them to be an isolated group."

He added that he and Mr McGuinness "deplore" those who were planning an anti-refugee rally in Belfast ahead of the arrival of the first group of refugees.

"That is not the people of Northern Ireland, that is not the way we behave," he said.

"When the public get some sight of the refugees that are coming to Northern Ireland, they will see how wrong-headed it would be to do anything other than provide support and comfort to these people."

"They are people who have gone through the most traumatic of times in the land of their birth."

read full article at source: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-34948156
 
Old November 29th, 2015 #64
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Post British war planes 'could be bombing Isis in Syria within 72 hours'

British war planes could be bombing Islamic State in Syria within 72 hours under plans being drawn up by Downing Street.

Senior No 10 sources said that a Commons vote was now most likely to take place on 2 December – but this will happen only if the Prime Minister is sure he has the support of a clear majority of MPs. The Government also does not want a vote to clash with the Oldham West by-election on Thursday.

David Cameron is understood to be concerned that this will give the impression that he is playing politics with issues of war and peace. However, any vote before 2 November is unlikely because of Labour’s continuing divisions on air strikes, which will not be resolved until at least the late on 30 November.

At 1pm on 30 November, Jeremy Corbyn will chair a crunch meeting of the Shadow Cabinet to decide the party’s position. Then at 6pm he will face a possibly mutinous weekly meeting of Labour MPs in Parliament.

On 1 December, before any decision on whether or not to call a Commons vote, No 10 will attempt to speak to Hilary Benn, the shadow Foreign Secretary, through intermediaries in order to be sure that there is significant Labour support.

read full article at source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-a6753191.html
 
Old November 29th, 2015 #65
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Post Peter Hitchens on bombing Syria: This isn't a just war - it's 'recreational bombing' by our Churchill wannabe

This is Peter Hitchens's Mail on Sunday column

Once again, as a patriotic Englishman from a Naval family, I stand amazed to find myself so lonely in my doubts about a foolish war.

I am no pacifist. I supported the retaking of the Falklands, national territory illegally seized by foreign invaders. I was thrilled to see that the Royal Navy could still do the hard tasks for which it is paid too little. Could it now?

Yet, on the basis of an emotional spasm and a speech that was illogical and factually weak, we are rushing towards yet another swamp, from which we will struggle to extract ourselves and where we can do no conceivable good.

Heaven forbid that it will lead (as other such adventures have) to more melancholy processions, bearing flag-wrapped coffins, from RAF Brize Norton; or to quieter convoys, carrying terribly injured men to special hospitals. Why must good, brave, dutiful men and women die or be maimed for life because our politicians are vain and ignorant?

But there is no knowing the end of this, especially given the Prime Minister’s absurd belief that we have 70,000 ‘moderate’ allies just waiting to help us in Syria. Among these scattered ‘moderates’ are those who last week murdered a Russian pilot as he parachuted to earth, and mauled his corpse.

When this phantom army turns out to be non-existent, or hostile, how long will it take Mr Cameron to return to the House of Commons, pleading oh-so-reasonably for ground troops to follow?

It is all such rubbish. I have yet to see conclusive evidence that the Paris murders were organised by or in Islamic State. France has plenty of home-grown hatred and (despite strict gun laws) is awash with illegal Kalashnikovs and ammunition.

Nor can I see why bombing Raqqa will defend us or anyone against such murders.

France’s President Hollande, a failed politician in bad domestic trouble, mired his own country in Syria months ago. I can’t see what good reason we have to follow him there. It will not help to bind up the wounds of the people of France.

Only three weeks back, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee advised, in a carefully argued report, that intervention in Syria is not a good idea. The pathetic cave-in of that committee’s chairman, Crispin Blunt, who now supports Mr Cameron’s latest war, merely makes Mr Blunt look irrational, weak-minded and easily led.

The UN Security Council resolution (of which Mr Cameron makes so much) actually offers no legal basis for military action. Nor does it cite Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which authorises the use of force.

David Cameron is already suffering from galloping Churchill syndrome (the patient growls, denounces his critics as appeasers, and starts wars). Now he seems to have contracted Blair’s disorder, an irresistible desire to pose alongside military hardware. On Monday he managed to have his portrait taken next to a very macho-looking Typhoon fighter jet at Northolt RAF base on his way back from Paris. Odd, that. Typhoons are

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read full article at source: http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co....l-wannabe.html
 
Old December 3rd, 2015 #66
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Post UK air attack on Islamic State: Syrians give reactions

The UK has started bombing targets of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria, following a strong vote in favour by Parliament.

France has already been bombing the jihadists' stronghold of Raqqa following deadly attacks in Paris claimed by the group.

The UK strikes focused on six targets in an oil field under IS control in eastern Syria, the BBC understands.

A number of Syrians have been giving their reaction to the British decision.

"Raqqa is being Slaughtered Silently" - citizen journalist group in the IS stronghold

The group said on Twitter that it opposed UK bombing raids.

"We are against the UK strikes on Raqqa. All the world is bombing Raqqa and the UK will not make any change in the situation. If the UK wants to help people then it should accept Syrian refugees and not close the border.

"Just bombing IS in Raqqa from the sky will not defeat IS, but it will make people suffer more. IS will use the UK strikes to recruit new people in the West and new fighters and maybe they will carry out terrorist attacks.

"In the end nobody will liberate Raqqa except the people of Raqqa."

Hassan, Raqqa resident now living in Turkey

"Humans can't survive there. Nothing works. That's why many people are trying to leave Raqqa," he told BBC Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen.

"Air strikes were not effective in reducing IS. It just destroyed some buildings and places with very few fighters. The places where strikes could have had most effect were not hit. Air strikes are not enough to defeat IS and push it out of the area. It needs local troops who know the area well, like the Free Syrian Army. IS fighters regroup in other parts.

"More air strikes could reduce fighter numbers. To defeat IS? No. You need ground troops."

This morning's newspapers in Damascus reiterate criticism Syrian officials have made for years about the West's engagement here.

"Britain didn't ask permission from Syria's government," declares the state news agency SANA. "Cameron told lies," it says.

Syrian officials insist Britain and its allies must follow Russia's example and coordinate their campaign with Syrian government forces. If they don't, they warn, they simply won't succeed.

Meanwhile, Syrian activists and opposition groups feel bitterly let down that the West did not give them this kind of military support to help remove President Bashar al-Assad.

But Syrians in the capital from all social backgrounds welcomed any kind of action against IS.

A spokesman for the FSA's southern front told Mark Lowen that the UK was focusing on the wrong enemy.

"The Assad regime is the cancer which ISIS (Islamic State, also known as Daesh) grow out of. So without erasing Assad from power - which means treating the cure, not just symptoms - that will not make a big difference.

"Daesh and Assad are two faces of one coin. You should start with Assad but we understand they're not going to hit Assad. With air strikes and partners on ground, that could finish IS.

"We're frustrated with

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read full article at source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34992616
 
Old December 3rd, 2015 #67
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Post (tl;dr) UK - Which MPs voted and how: military action against Assad's Syria

UK – Which MP voted for military action against Assad’s Syria

Conservative MPs in favour of airstrikes (313)

Nigel Adams (Selby & Ainsty),

Adam Afriyie (Windsor),

Peter Aldous (Waveney),

Lucy Allan (Telford),

Heidi Allen (Cambridgeshire South),

Sir David Amess (Southend West),

Stuart Andrew (Pudsey),

Caroline Ansell (Eastbourne),

Edward Argar (Charnwood),

Victoria Atkins (Louth & Horncastle),

Richard Bacon (Norfolk South),

Steven Baker (Wycombe),

Harriett Baldwin (Worcestershire West),

Stephen Barclay (Cambridgeshire North East),

Guto Bebb (Aberconwy),

Henry Bellingham (Norfolk North West),

Richard Benyon (Newbury),

Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley),

Jake Berry (Rossendale & Darwen),

James Berry (Kingston & Surbiton),

Andrew Bingham (High Peak),

Bob Blackman (Harrow East),

Nicola Blackwood (Oxford West & Abingdon),

Crispin Blunt (Reigate),

Nick Boles (Grantham & Stamford),

Peter Bone (Wellingborough),

Victoria Borwick (Kensington),

Peter Bottomley (Worthing West),

Karen Bradley (Staffordshire Moorlands),

Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West),

Julian Brazier (Canterbury),

Andrew Bridgen (Leicestershire North West),

Steve Brine (Winchester),

James Brokenshire (Old Bexley & Sidcup),

Fiona Bruce (Congleton),

Robert Buckland (Swindon South),

Conor Burns (Bournemouth West),

Simon Burns (Chelmsford),

David Burrowes (Enfield Southgate),

Alistair Burt (Bedfordshire North East),

Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan),

David Cameron (Witney),

Neil Carmichael (Stroud),

James Cartlidge (Suffolk South),

Bill Cash (Stone),

Maria Caulfield (Lewes),

Alex Chalk (Cheltenham),

Rehman Chishti (Gillingham & Rainham),

Jo Churchill (Bury St Edmunds),

Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells),

James Cleverly (Braintree),

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswolds, The),

Therese Coffey (Suffolk Coastal),

Damian Collins (Folkestone & Hythe),

Oliver Colvile (Plymouth Sutton & Devonport),

Alberto Costa (Leicestershire South),

Geoffrey Cox (Devon West & Torridge),

Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire),

Tracey Crouch (Chatham & Aylesford),

Byron Davies (Gower),

Chris Davies (Brecon & Radnorshire),

David Davies (Monmouth),

Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire),

James Davies (Vale of Clwyd),

Mims Davies (Eastleigh),

Philip Davies (Shipley),

Caroline Dinenage (Gosport),

Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon),

Michelle Donelan (Chippenham),

Nadine Dorries (Bedfordshire Mid),

Stephen Double (St Austell & Newquay),

Oliver Dowden (Hertsmere),

Richard Drax (Dorset South),

Flick Drummond (Portsmouth South),

James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East),

Alan Duncan (Rutland & Melton),

Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford & Woodford Green),

Philip Dunne (Ludlow),

Michael Ellis (Northampton North),

Jane Ellison (Battersea),

Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East),

Charlie Elphicke (Dover),

George Eustice (Camborne & Redruth),

Graham Evans (Weaver Vale),

Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley),

David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford),

Michael Fabricant (Lichfield),

Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks),

Suella Fernandes (Fareham),

Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster),

Kevin Foster (Torbay),

Dr Liam Fox (Somerset North),

Mark Francois (Rayleigh & Wickford),

Lucy Frazer (Cambridgeshire South East),

George Freeman (Norfolk Mid),

Mike Freer (Finchley & Golders Green),

Richard Fuller (Bedford),

Marcus Fysh (Yeovil),

Roger Gale (Thanet North),

Edward Garnier (Harborough),

Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest),

David Gauke (Hertfordshire South West),

Nus Ghani (Wealden),

Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton),

Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham),

John Glen (Salisbury),

Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park),

Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby),

Michael Gove (Surrey Heath),

Richard Graham (Gloucester),

Helen Grant (Maidstone & The Weald),

James Gray (Wiltshire North),

Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell),

Chris Green (Bolton West),

Damian Green (Ashford),

Justine Greening (Putney),

Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield),

Andrew Griffiths (Burton),

Ben Gummer (Ipswich),

Sam Gyimah (Surrey East),

Robert Halfon (Harlow),

Luke Hall (Thornbury & Yate),

Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge),

Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon),

Matthew Hancock (Suffolk West),

Greg Hands (Chelsea & Fulham),

Mark Harper (Forest of Dean),

Richard Harrington (Watford),

Rebecca Harris (Castle Point),

Simon Hart (Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South),

Sir Alan Haselhurst (Saffron Walden),

John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings),

Sir Oliver Heald (Hertfordshire North East),

James Heappey (Wells),

Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry),

Peter Heaton-Jones (Devon North),

Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs),

Damian Hinds (Hampshire East),

Simon Hoare (Dorset North),

George Hollingbery (Meon Valley),

Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk & Malton),

Kris Hopkins (Keighley),

Gerald Howarth (Aldershot),

John Howell (Henley),

Ben Howlett (Bath),

Nigel Huddleston (Worcestershire Mid),

Jeremy Hunt (Surrey South West),

Nick Hurd (Ruislip, Northwood & Pinner),

Stewart Jackson (Peterborough),

Margot James (Stourbridge),

Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove),

Ranil Jayawardena (Hampshire North East),

Bernard Jenkin (Harwich & Essex North),

Andrea Jenkyns (Morley & Outwood),

Robert Jenrick (Newark),

Boris Johnson (Uxbridge & Ruislip South),

Gareth Johnson (Dartford),

Joseph Johnson (Orpington),

Andrew Jones (Harrogate & Knaresborough),

David Jones (Clwyd West),

Marcus Jones (Nuneaton),

Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham),

Seema Kennedy (South Ribble),

Simon Kirby (Brighton Kemptown),

Greg Knight (Yorkshire East),

Julian Knight (Solihull),

Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne),

Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North),

Pauline Latham (Derbyshire Mid),

Andrea Leadsom (Northamptonshire South),

Phillip Lee (Bracknell),

Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford),

Charlotte Leslie (Bristol North West),

Oliver Letwin (Dorset West),

Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth),

Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater & Somerset West),

David Lidington (Aylesbury),

Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden),

Jack Lopresti (Filton & Bradley Stoke),

Jonathan Lord (Woking),

Tim Loughton (Worthing East & Shoreham),

Karen Lumley (Redditch),

Jason McCartney (Colne Valley),

Karl McCartney (Lincoln),

Craig Mackinlay (Thanet South),

David Mackintosh (Northampton South),

Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire Dales),

Anne Main (St Albans),

Alan Mak (Havant),

Kit Malthouse (Hampshire North West),

Scott Mann (Cornwall North),

Tania Mathias (Twickenham),

Theresa May (Maidenhead),

Paul Maynard (Blackpool North & Cleveleys),

Mark Menzies (Fylde),

Johnny Mercer (Plymouth Moor View),

Huw Merriman (Bexhill & Battle),

Stephen Metcalfe (Basildon South & Thurrock East),

Maria Miller (Basingstoke),

Amanda Milling (Cannock Chase),

Nigel Mills (Amber Valley),

Anne Milton (Guildford),

Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield),

Penny Mordaunt (Portsmouth North),

Nicky Morgan (Loughborough),

Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot),

David Morris (Morecambe & Lunesdale),

James Morris (Halesowen & Rowley Regis),

Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills),

David Mowat (Warrington South),

David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale),

Sheryll Murray (Cornwall South East),

Dr Andrew Murrison (Wiltshire South West),

Bob Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst),

Sarah Newton (Truro & Falmouth),

Caroline Nokes (Romsey & Southampton North),

Jesse Norman (Hereford & Herefordshire South),

David Nuttall (Bury North),

Matthew Offord (Hendon),

Guy Opperman (Hexham),

George Osborne (Tatton),

Neil Parish (Tiverton & Honiton),

Priti Patel (Witham),

Owen Paterson (Shropshire North),

Mark Pawsey (Rugby),

Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead),

John Penrose (Weston-Super-Mare),

Andrew Percy (Brigg & Goole),

Claire Perry (Devizes),

Stephen Phillips (Sleaford & North Hykeham),

Chris Philp (Croydon South),

Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar),

Christopher Pincher (Tamworth),

Daniel Poulter (Suffolk Central & Ipswich North),

Rebecca Pow (Taunton Deane),

Victoria Prentis (Banbury),

Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford),

Mark Pritchard (Wrekin, The),

Tom Pursglove (Corby),

Jeremy Quin (Horsham),

Will Quince (Colchester),

Dominic Raab (Esher & Walton),

Jacob Rees-Mogg (Somerset North East),

Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury),

Mary Robinson (Cheadle),

Andrew Rosindell (Romford),

Amber Rudd (Hastings & Rye),

David Rutley (Macclesfield),

Antoinette Sandbach (Eddisbury),

Paul Scully (Sutton & Cheam),

Andrew Selous (Bedfordshire South West),

Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield),

Alok Sharma (Reading West),

Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet & Rothwell),

Keith Simpson (Broadland),

Chris Skidmore (Kingswood),

Chloe Smith (Norwich North),

Henry Smith (Crawley),

Julian Smith (Skipton & Ripon),

Royston Smith (Southampton Itchen),

Nicholas Soames (Sussex Mid),

Amanda Solloway (Derby North),

Anna Soubry (Broxtowe),

Caroline Spelman (Meriden),

Mark Spencer (Sherwood),

Andrew Stephenson (Pendle),

John Stevenson (Carlisle),

Bob Stewart (Beckenham),

Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South),

Rory Stewart (Penrith & The Border),

Gary Streeter (Devon South West),

Mel Stride (Devon Central),

Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness),

Julian Sturdy (York Outer),

Rishi Sunak (Richmond (Yorks)),

Desmond Swayne (New Forest West),

Hugo Swire (Devon East),

Robert Syms (Poole),

Derek Thomas (St Ives),

Maggie Throup (Erewash),

Edward Timpson (Crewe & Nantwich),

Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester & Strood),

Justin Tomlinson (Swindon North),

Michael Tomlinson (Dorset Mid & Poole North),

Craig Tracey (Warwickshire North),

David Tredinnick (Bosworth),

Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Berwick-upon-Tweed),

Elizabeth Truss (Norfolk South West),

Thomas Tugendhat (Tonbridge & Malling),

Ed Vaizey (Wantage),

Shailesh Vara (Cambridgeshire North West),

Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet),

Charles Walker (Broxbourne),

Robin Walker (Worcester),

Ben Wallace (Wyre & Preston North),

David Warburton (Somerton & Frome),

Matt Warman (Boston & Skegness),

Angela Watkinson (Hornchurch & Upminster),

James Wharton (Stockton South),

Helen Whately (Faversham & Kent Mid),

Heather Wheeler (Derbyshire South),

Chris White (Warwick & Leamington),

Craig Whittaker (Calder Valley),

John Whittingdale (Maldon),

Bill Wiggin (Herefordshire North),

Craig Williams (Cardiff North),

Gavin Williamson (Staffordshire South),

Rob Wilson (Reading East),

Dr Sarah Wollaston (Totnes),

Mike Wood (Dudley South),

William Wragg (Hazel Grove),

Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth & Southam),

Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon)


Labour MPs in favour (66)

Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East),

Ian Austin (Dudley North),

Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West),

Kevin Barron (Rother Valley),

Margaret Beckett (Derby South),

Hilary Benn (Leeds Central),

Luciana Berger (Liverpool Wavertree),

Tom Blenkinsop (Middlesbrough South & Cleveland East),

Ben Bradshaw (Exeter),

Chris Bryant (Rhondda),

Alan Campbell (Tynemouth),

Jenny Chapman (Darlington),

Vernon Coaker (Gedling),

Ann Coffey (Stockport),

Yvette Cooper (Normanton,

Pontefract & Castleford),

Neil Coyle (Bermondsey & Old Southwark),

Mary Creagh (Wakefield),

Stella Creasy (Walthamstow),

Simon Danczuk (Rochdale),

Wayne David (Caerphilly),

Gloria De Piero (Ashfield),

Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South & Penarth),

Jim Dowd (Lewisham West & Penge),

Michael Dugher (Barnsley East),

Angela Eagle (Wallasey),

Maria Eagle (Garston & Halewood),

Louise Ellman (Liverpool Riverside),

Frank Field (Birkenhead),

Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar & Limehouse),

Colleen Fletcher (Coventry North East),

Caroline Flint (Don Valley),

Harriet Harman (Camberwell & Peckham),

Margaret Hodge (Barking),

George Howarth (Knowsley),

Tristram Hunt (Stoke-on-Trent Central),

Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central),

Alan Johnson (Hull West & Hessle),

Graham Jones (Hyndburn),

Helen Jones (Warrington North),

Kevan Jones (Durham North),

Susan Elan Jones (Clwyd South),

Liz Kendall (Leicester West),

Dr Peter Kyle (Hove),

Chris Leslie (Nottingham East),

Holly Lynch (Halifax),

Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham & Morden),

Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East),

Conor McGinn (St Helens North),

Alison McGovern (Wirral South),

Bridget Phillipson (Houghton & Sunderland South),

Jamie Reed (Copeland),

Emma Reynolds (Wolverhampton North East),

Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West),

Joan Ryan (Enfield North),

Lucy Powell (Manchester Central),

Ruth Smeeth (Stoke-on-Trent North),

Angela Smith (Penistone & Stocksbridge),

John Spellar (Warley),

Gisela Stuart (Birmingham Edgbaston),

Gareth Thomas (Harrow West),

Anna Turley (Redcar),

Chuka Umunna (Streatham),

Keith Vaz (Leicester East),

Tom Watson (West Bromwich East),

Phil Wilson (Sedgefield),

John Woodcock (Barrow & Furness)

Liberal Democrats in favour (6)

Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington),

Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland),

Nick Clegg (Sheffield Hallam),

Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale),

Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West),

John Pugh (Southport).

Democratic Unionist Party (8)

Gregory Campbell (Londonderry East),

Nigel Dodds (Belfast North),

Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley),

Ian Paisley (Antrim North),

Gavin Robinson (Belfast East),

Jim Shannon (Strangford),

David Simpson (Upper Bann),

Sammy Wilson (Antrim East).

UUP

Tom Elliott (Fermanagh & South Tyrone),

Danny Kinahan (Antrim South).

Ukip MP Douglas Carswell (Clacton)

‘Independent’ MP Sylvia Hermon (Down North).


And those AGAINST

Labour MPs (153)

Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington),

Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East & Saddleworth),

Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green & Bow),

Graham Allen (Nottingham North),

David Anderson (Blaydon),

Jon Ashworth (Leicester South),

Clive Betts (Sheffield South East),

Roberta Blackman-Woods (Durham, City of),

Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central),

Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West),

Lyn Brown (West Ham),

Nick Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East),

Karen Buck (Westminster North),

Richard Burden (Birmingham Northfield),

Richard Burgon (Leeds East),

Andy Burnham (Leigh),

Dawn Butler (Brent Central),

Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill),

Ruth Cadbury (Brentford & Isleworth),

Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley),

Sarah Champion (Rotherham),

Julie Cooper (Burnley),

Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North),

David Crausby (Bolton North East),

Jon Cruddas (Dagenham & Rainham),

John Cryer (Leyton & Wanstead),

Judith Cummins (Bradford South),

Alex Cunningham (Stockton North),

Jim Cunningham (Coventry South),

Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe),

Geraint Davies (Swansea West),

Peter Dowd (Bootle),

Jack Dromey (Birmingham Erdington),

Clive Efford (Eltham),

Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central),

Bill Esterson (Sefton Central),

Chris Evans (Islwyn),

Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme),

Rob Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South),

Paul Flynn (Newport West),

Yvonne Fovargue (Makerfield),

Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham Deptford),

Barry Gardiner (Brent North),

Pat Glass (Durham North West),

Mary Glindon (Tyneside North),

Roger Godsiff (Birmingham Hall Green),

Kate Green (Stretford & Urmston),

Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South),

Margaret Greenwood (Wirral West),

Nia Griffith (Llanelli),

Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish),

Louise Haigh (Sheffield Heeley),

Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East),

David Hanson (Delyn),

Harry Harpham (Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough),

Carolyn Harris (Swansea East),

Helen Hayes (Dulwich & West Norwood),

Sue Hayman (Workington),

John Healey (Wentworth & Dearne),

Mark Hendrick (Preston),

Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow),

Meg Hillier (Hackney South & Shoreditch),

Sharon Hodgson (Washington & Sunderland West),

Kate Hoey (Vauxhall),

Kate Hollern (Blackburn),

Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North),

Rupa Huq (Ealing Central & Acton),

Imran Hussain (Bradford East),

Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore),

Diana Johnson (Hull North),

Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney),

Mike Kane (Wythenshawe & Sale East),

Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester Gorton),

Barbara Keeley (Worsley & Eccles South),

Sadiq Khan (Tooting),

Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon),

David Lammy (Tottenham),

Ian Lavery (Wansbeck),

Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields),

Clive Lewis (Norwich South),

Ivan Lewis (Bury South),

Rebecca Long-Bailey (Salford & Eccles),

Ian Lucas (Wrexham),

Steve McCabe (Birmingham Selly Oak),

Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East),

Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough),

John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington),

Liz McInnes (Heywood & Middleton),

Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North),

Fiona Mactaggart (Slough),

Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port & Neston),

Shabana Mahmood (Birmingham Ladywood),

Seema Malhotra (Feltham & Heston),

John Mann (Bassetlaw),

Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West),

Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South),

Rachael Maskell (York Central),

Chris Matheson (Chester, City of),

Alan Meale (Mansfield),

Ian Mearns (Gateshead),

Ed Miliband (Doncaster North),

Madeleine Moon (Bridgend),

Jessica Morden (Newport East),

Grahame Morris (Easington),

Ian Murray (Edinburgh South),

Lisa Nandy (Wigan), Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby),

Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central),

Kate Osamor (Edmonton),

Albert Owen (Ynys Mon),

Teresa Pearce (Erith & Thamesmead),

Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich & Woolwich),

Toby Perkins (Chesterfield),

Jess Phillips (Birmingham Yardley),

Stephen Pound (Ealing North),

Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East),

Angela Rayner (Ashton Under Lyne),

Christina Rees (Neath),

Rachel Reeves (Leeds West),

Jonathan Reynolds (Stalybridge & Hyde),

Marie Rimmer (St Helens South & Whiston),

Steve Rotheram (Liverpool Walton),

Naseem Shah (Bradford West),

Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield),

Paula Sherriff (Dewsbury),

Gavin Shuker (Luton South),

Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead & Kilburn),

Dennis Skinner (Bolsover),

Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith),

Andrew Smith (Oxford East),

Cat Smith (Lancaster & Fleetwood),

Jeff Smith (Manchester Withington),

Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent),

Owen Smith (Pontypridd),

Karin Smyth (Bristol South),

Keir Starmer (Holborn & St Pancras),

Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central),

Wes Streeting (Ilford North),

Graham Stringer (Blackley & Broughton),

Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside),

Nick Thomas-Symonds (Torfaen),

Emily Thornberry (Islington South & Finsbury),

Stephen Timms (East Ham),

Jon Trickett (Hemsworth),

Karl Turner (Hull East),

Derek Twigg (Halton),

Stephen Twigg (Liverpool West Derby),

Valerie Vaz (Walsall South),

Catherine West (Hornsey & Wood Green),

Alan Whitehead (Southampton Test),

David Winnick (Walsall North),


SNP (53)

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Ochil & Perthshire South),

Richard Arkless (Dumfries & Galloway),

Hannah Bardell (Livingston),

Mhairi Black (Paisley & Renfrewshire South),

Ian Blackford (Ross, Skye & Lochaber),

Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North),

Phil Boswell (Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill),

Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North & Leith),

Alan Brown (Kilmarnock & Loudoun),

Dr Lisa Cameron (East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow),

Douglas Chapman (Dunfermline & Fife West),

Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West),

Ronnie Cowan (Inverclyde),

Angela Crawley (Lanark & Hamilton East),

Martyn Day (Linlithgow & Falkirk East),

Martin Docherty (Dunbartonshire West),

Stuart Donaldson (Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine),

Marion Fellows (Motherwell & Wishaw),

Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen & Hamilton West),

Stephen Gethins (Fife North East),

Patricia Gibson (Ayrshire North & Arran),

Patrick Grady (Glasgow North),

Peter Grant (Glenrothes),

Neil Gray (Airdrie & Shotts),

Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey),

Stewart Hosie (Dundee East),

George Kerevan (East Lothian),

Calum Kerr (Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk),

Chris Law (Dundee West),

Callum McCaig (Aberdeen South),

Stewart McDonald (Glasgow South),

Stuart McDonald (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East),

Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow North East),

John McNally (Falkirk),

Angus MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar),

Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West),

Dr Paul Monaghan (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross),

Roger Mullin (Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath),

Gavin Newlands (Paisley & Renfrewshire North),

John Nicolson (Dunbartonshire East),

Steven Paterson (Stirling),

Brendan O'Hara (Argyll & Bute),

Kirsten Oswald (Renfrewshire East),

Angus Robertson (Moray),

Alex Salmond (Gordon),

Tommy Sheppard (Edinburgh East),

Christopher Stephens (Glasgow South West),

Alison Thewliss (Glasgow Central),

Mike Weir (Angus),

Dr Eilidh Whiteford (Banff & Buchan),

Dr Philippa Whitford (Ayrshire Central),

Corri Wilson (Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock),

Pete Wishart (Perth & Perthshire North).

Suspended SNP

Natalie McGarry (Glasgow East)

Michelle Thomson (Edinburgh West)

Conservatives

John Baron (Basildon & Billericay),

David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden),

Gordon Henderson (Sittingbourne & Sheppey),

Philip Hollobone (Kettering),

Julian Lewis (New Forest East),

Stephen McPartland (Stevenage),

Andrew Tyrie (Chichester).



Social Democratic and Labour Party


Mark Durkan (Foyle)

Dr Alasdair McDonnell (Belfast South)

Margaret Ritchie (Down South)

Liberal Democrats

Norman Lamb (Norfolk North)

Mark Williams (Ceredigion)

Plaid Cymru

Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr)

Hywel Williams (Arfon)

Green MP Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion)

Four MPs involved in counting the votes - tellers - did not vote.

The tellers for the ‘Noes’ were SNP MP Owen Thompson (Midlothian) and Plaid MP Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

The tellers for the ‘ayes’ were Tories Gavin Barwell (Croydon Central) and Jackie Doyle Price (Thurrock)


read full article at source: http://theuglytruth.wordpress.com/20...-assads-syria/
 
Old December 7th, 2015 #68
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Post British strikes in Syria illegal, play into terrorists' hands - Assad

The support of the British parliament for the air operation in Syria advocated by Prime Minister David Cameron cannot change the fact that the presence of the Royal Air Force in Syrian airspace is unlawful since neither Damascus, nor the United Nations have given London the green light to bomb Syrian territory, Assad said.

“It will be harmful and illegal and it will support terrorism, as happened after the coalition started its operation a year or so [ago] because this is like a cancer,” Assad said, accusing British PM David Cameron of a farcical description of the so-called “moderate Syrian opposition” that is supposed to push ISIS out from the territories it occupies in Syria.

“This is a new episode in a long series of David Cameron’s classical farce… Where are they? Where are the 70,000 moderates he is talking about?”

“Let me be frank and blunt about this,” Assad said. “There is no 70,000. There is no 7,000.”

Britain’s airstrikes cannot harm ISIS and only help to spread the cancer of terrorism further, because the West refused to combine its air power with Syrian forces to defeat ISIS, President Assad told the Sunday Times. “We know that they are not going to do so,” he said.

“It has to be from the air, from the ground, to have cooperation with troops on the ground — the national troops — for the intervention to be legal. So I would say they don’t have the will and don’t have the vision to defeat terrorism,” Assad said.

“You cannot cut out part of the cancer. You have to extract it. This kind of operation is like cutting out part of the cancer. That will make it spread in the body faster,” the Syrian leader said.

“How many extremist cells now exist in Europe? How many extremists did you export from Europe to Syria? This is where the danger lies. The danger is in the incubator,” he said.

Hundreds of Russian citizens are fighting on the terrorists' side in Syria as well. Their installations specifically are among the multitude of targets for the Air Force bombing campaign Moscow launched in Syria.

Moscow has repeatedly stated it won’t let its homegrown extremists return home to instigate violence.

“The Russians can see this clearly. They want to protect Syria, Iraq, the region — and even Europe. I am not exaggerating by saying they are protecting Europe today,” Assad said.

The Syrian president stressed that the Russians entered the Syrian conflict “the legal way.”

“I made the request. I sent a letter to President Putin,” Assad said, adding that the Russian military presence “has had a significant impact on both the military and political arena in Syria.”

Only the intervention of the Russian airstrikes curbed the expansion of the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate, that has been feeling at home in Syria despite over a year of airstrikes by the US-led anti-ISIS coalition, Assad said.

As for the presence of the Russian ground troops in Syria, “We have not discussed that yet and I don’t think we need it now

----- snip -----


read full article at source: http://www.rt.com/news/324919-assad-...rikes-failure/
 
Old December 7th, 2015 #69
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Post UK - Facebook users reporting David Cameron's Syria air strikes post as a credible threat of violence

UK – Facebook users reporting David Cameron’s Syria air strikes post as a ‘credible threat of violence’ | The Ugly Truth



Facebook users are reporting David Cameron’s post about the air strikes on Syria, but the site doesn’t appear to be taking it down.

The night that Parliament voted to bomb Syria, Cameron posted: “I believe the House has taken the right decision to keep the UK safe - military action in Syria as one part of a broader strategy.”

Just minutes later, a Facebook user called Toby Goodwin said that he had “reported David Cameron’s Facebook page for being a ‘credible threat of violence’”. The post had received 14,000 likes at the time of writing and is now the top comment beneath Cameron’s original post.


The response seems to be gaining popularity across social media, with many users recommending that people on Facebook head to the post and report it.

Reporting a post is done by clicking the small arrow in the top right corner of any post. Clicking “I don’t like this post” brings up a menu with the option “I think it shouldn’t be on Facebook” — from there, users can click that it is “threatening, violent or suicidal” and then marking it as a “credible threat of violence”.



Facebook appears to be rejecting the reports, arguing that the post “hasn’t been removed because we found that it doesn’t go against the Facebook Community Standards”, according to a screenshot posted by one of the users who had reported it.

The relevant part of Facebook’s community standards says that it will remove threats.

“We carefully review reports of threatening language to identify serious threats of harm to public and personal safety,” Facebook’s community standards read. “We remove credible threats of physical harm to individuals. We also remove specific threats of theft, vandalism, or other financial harm.

“We may consider things like a person's physical location or public visibility in determining whether a threat is credible. We may assume credibility of any threats to people living in violent and unstable regions.”





read full article at source: http://theuglytruth.wordpress.com/20...t-of-violence/
 
Old December 21st, 2015 #70
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Post Syrian refugees in Scotland: cold weather but warm welcome

Amer Masri recalls the overwhelming relief of one Syrian refugee who arrived in Scotland a few weeks ago.

“He was so grateful. He kept repeating ‘Thank you Scotland! Thank you Nicola Sturgeon!’ after every phrase I translated for him.”

Masri is himself a refugee, who fled the Assad regime in 2011 and now works as a research scientist in Edinburgh, where he lives with his wife and two young children.

Over the past month, Masri and a group of other local Syrians have been visiting their newly arrived country-folk, helping where they can with the inevitable stresses and strangeness of negotiating a foreign land in the middle of winter.

“It’s to show them we are here, that this country gave us dignity and freedom, and that encourages them,” explains Masri.

Their initial anxieties have not been so banal as the weather, he adds. “We try to emphasise that the police in Scotland are here to help them, that they are not in danger from them. We’ve also tried to explain that this is an equal country, whether between those with education or no education, and importantly that women have the same rights as men.”

On 17 November, the first charter flight carrying families mainly from camps bordering Syria touched down at Glasgow airport during a relentless downpour. Since then, more than 300 men, women and children have been settled across the country by half of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

In a reflection of the country’s readiness in comparison to other parts of the UK, Scotland has welcomed one in three of the thousand refugees David Cameron agreed to take before the end of the year, although the Scottish government’s proportionate commitment was to take 10% of the total number over five years.

With the first plane-load landing days after the Paris attacks in November, concerns were raised that some people would conflate the refugees’ arrival with the terrorist threat. There was a suspected arson attack on a mosque to the north of Glasgow and Police Scotland confirmed an immediate spike in hate crimes later that week.

The day before the first arrivals, Humza Yousaf, the chair of the refugee taskforce which has coordinated the resettlement programme, and the Scottish government’s only Muslim minister, confirmed that he had informed the police of the Islamophobic abuse he received on social media.

But a month later, Yousaf praised the public’s response to the refugee crisis, saying: “I am deeply proud of the Scottish people who have extended the warmest possible hand of friendship to our newest neighbours.”

Speaking before the final refugee taskforce meeting of the year, he added: “I’ve heard heartwarming tales – people walking up to refugees in the street and giving them hugs of welcome, offers of friendship, support and practical help, from arranging special community film screenings for refugees to giving them welcome gifts of food hampers, warm clothes and hot water bottles.”

Meanwhile, local communities have responded in their own, some

----- snip -----


read full article at source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...t-warm-welcome
 
Old January 3rd, 2016 #71
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Post Syrian refugees: It feels like we never left our families back in Syria because of the warm welcome we received in Scotland. (From Herald Scotland)

A huge grin spreads across the nine-year-old’s face as he takes his eyes off the TV to swivel round and face his dad. “Naam,” he answers – 'yes' in Arabic.

The Ahmads were among the first refugees to touch down at Glasgow Airport in November. While some of the 400 other families made their home on the Isle of Bute, the Ahmads were among 50 refugees from UN registered camps in countries bordering Syria who were resettled in Paisley.

We visited Mohammad, 50, his wife Rabaa, 42, and their four children in the midst of the Christmas and New Year storms. The rain is lashing the windows of their small flat, in the same way it battered the plane they travelled here in, they say.

Not that the wet weather is too much of a problem for the family yet. They are overwhelmingly positive about their experience in Scotland so far and are hopeful about what the new year will bring.

Their charter flight carrying vulnerable displaced people landed on November 18. The hearty welcome at the airport left Rabaa in tears and now, surrounded by her family in the warmth of their new home, she becomes emotional again at the thought of it.

“I was actually crying when I arrived here,” she says through a translator.

“I feel like I never left my home because of the warm welcome and care we received. It felt like we never left our families back home. We are among our families again.”

Although they are content, it is clear that things are not perfect.

The two-bedroom flat they are living in is far too small for four boys, including two teenagers.

It isn't adapted for their eldest son Ahmad, 16, who was born with a birth defect after his mother contracted a virus while pregnant. It was Ahmad's disability which caused the family to be designated as 'vulnerable'.

The teenager walks with a pronounced limp, takes medication and will need surgical procedures throughout his life.

His mother is hopeful he will be treated through the NHS as soon as possible. It would make a huge difference to the life of the young man, who is in pain every time he moves.

Mohammad says their new life is a huge improvement to refugee camps in Jordan where conditions were unlivable and they struggled to get treatment for Ahmad.

They left Daraa in South Western Syria three years ago because the civil war left them completely unable to support Ahmad. Their family was also at risk after Mohammad’s sister’s husband was killed at the beginning of the revolution.

“It was not safe in Syria any longer,” says Mohammad. “Things were getting worse and worse. It affected the health support of my son.”

The family always paid for Ahmad’s surgeries and health care privately because it was not available any other way. After the war broke out Mohammad lost his job and could not find work.

He says: “There was nothing left – no jobs, no factories. No hospitals could treat my son. Our lives were in danger there so we had to leave. Nobody would leav

----- snip -----


read full article at source: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/1..._in_Scotland_/
 
Old January 7th, 2016 #72
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Post UK asylum requests soar to 5,000 per month

In October, some 5,095 applicants and their dependents made claims to settle in Britain, according to information released by the EU’s data agency. The number is the highest since January 2009, the Press Association reports.

The figures, from Eurostat, suggest 164 refugees and migrants are applying for asylum every day. October’s influx showed a rise of nearly 2,000 applications, with 4,055 applications processed in the UK in September.

It also shows a marked difference from the beginning of January 2015, when 2,700 refugees and migrants launched applications for asylum.

The figures come as the ongoing refugee and migrant crisis has seen more than one million individuals fleeing instability and war arrive in Europe during 2015, and the number is expected to rise as Syria enters its fifth year of civil war.

The Eurostat figures show that in October 530 Syrian refugees and their dependents applied for asylum in the UK. This is five times the number of Syrian refugees the UK has resettled as part of its effort to house those displaced by the war.

Some 630 Eritreans also filed for asylum in the UK during October.

The figures show that across Europe more than 150,000 claims were made for asylum during October. Of all EU members, Britain had the eighth highest number of applications.

Germany topped the list, with 54,870 applications lodged in October, with Sweden (39,055), Italy (10,440), Netherlands (10,160), France (8,060), Finland (7,005) and Belgium (6,020) following as the countries receiving most applications.

The figure for the UK is almost five times higher than Greece, where many refugees and migrants arrive from outside the EU, suggesting that most head for northern Europe in search of asylum.

Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to take 20,000 refugees before 2020, but his resolution has been criticized as “too little, too late.”

The government has also been urged by MPs to take 3,000 lone children.

In December, it was revealed that thousands of asylum seekers are no longer in contact with local authorities and cannot be accounted for. Caseworkers said there are nearly 10,000 cases in the UK of asylum seekers and their dependents not being in contact with the Home Office.

read full article at source: http://www.rt.com/uk/328101-asylum-f...efugee-crisis/
 
Old January 7th, 2016 #73
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Old January 28th, 2016 #74
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Post UK to give sanctuary to unaccompanied refugee children

The UK is to accept more unaccompanied child refugees from Syria and other conflict zones - but the government has not said how many.

The Home Office will work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to identify "exceptional cases" from camps in Syria and neighbouring countries.

The UK is to take 20,000 refugees from Syria by 2020 - but campaigners want 3,000 children to be taken from Europe.

Save the Children said child refugees in Europe were "incredibly vulnerable".

The government also said it was giving £10m to help vulnerable refugee minors already in Europe; some can be brought to the UK "where it is in their best interests".

Campaigners welcomed the announcement on child refugees, but Labour warned about a "false distinction between refugees in the region and refugees in Europe". UKIP said £10m was a "minuscule amount".

What is the UK doing to help?

Migration to Europe in graphics

The UK has already accepted about 1,000 refugees from Syria under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme, which the government expanded last year.

But Prime Minister David Cameron has come under pressure from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, as well as from within his own party, to do more.

He has faced calls to prioritise children who have been separated from their families as a result of the five-year war in Syria, conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and large-scale migration from Eritrea.

The Home Office has not put a figure on how many under-18s will be taken in as part of the joint initiative with the UNHCR, but it confirmed those accepted will be in addition to the existing 20,000 figure.

Sources have indicated the numbers involved would not significantly increase the current 20,000 commitment.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg

The prime minister has been under pressure - just as in the summer months when the full scale of the migrant crisis became clear - to make more effort to help the most vulnerable among the hundreds of thousands of people on the move.

In recent days that pressure has taken the shape of calls from the Liberal Democrats and Labour, and campaign groups like Save the Children, to open Britain's doors to 3,000 children, alone and potentially in danger on the migrant trail in Europe.

Just hours after the PM was accused of a "disgraceful" tone towards those in need - calling them a 'bunch of migrants' - the government has given a partial answer to its critics.

Read more from Laura here

Home Office minister James Brokenshire said the government scheme would focus on displaced children in Syria and the Middle East - not those already in Europe.

He said the UNHCR would help to identify "exceptional cases" to be resettled in the UK but added that the "vast majority" were better off staying in the region.

Asked about child refugees in camps across Europe, he said: "We are providing aid and support, millions of pounds to other European countries - to the western Balkans as well - to see that they get that help

----- snip -----


read full article at source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35422777
 
Old February 3rd, 2016 #75
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Post Take more refugee children from Europe, Tory MPs tell David Cameron after mission to Lesbos | UK Politics | News

A group of Tory MPs have urged David Cameron to consider taking more refugee children from within Europe after seeing the desperate situation on the Greek islands.

The three MPs met with immigration minister James Brokenshire following a fact-finding mission to Lesbos, where up to 6,000 asylum-seekers arrive from Turkey every day to squalid conditions and total administrative chaos.

The Prime Minister rejected calls last week from charities to take in 3,000 unaccompanied children who had already arrived in Greece and Italy, saying Britain would focus its efforts on Syria and other conflict zones.

The Independent can reveal that he now faces growing pressure to reconsider that approach from his own MPs, who reported back to Government with their findings last night.

Heidi Allen, the MP for South Cambridgeshire, Caroline Ansell, the member for Eastbourne and Jo Churchill for Bury St Edmunds were taken out to Lesbos by Save The Children, one of the main charities providing relief to the thousands of refugees as they arrive on the island.

The three MPs, all new from the 2015 intake, were called in for a briefing by Mr Brokenshire before they left on the trip to be “filled in on the Government’s strategy” for the region.

But Ms Allen said that after seeing “the discarded life jackets, the broken ships and battered limbs” of people arriving in Lesbos, she would “bang every drum” to get the Government to do more for genuine asylum-seekers within Europe’s borders.

Speaking to this newspaper, she acknowledged Mr Cameron’s concerns about the “pull factor” of providing help to people who have made the journey to Europe themselves – possibly encouraging more to do so.

She nonetheless said: “I defy any country, and I would drag them to the table myself if I have to, if we identify however-many thousands of unaccompanied children who genuinely have not a soul in the world [not to do more to help them].

“We will find homes for them,” she said.

Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees

Save The Children say around 26-27,000 unaccompanied children turned up on Europe’s shores last year – but admit that this is just a best guess because of failures processing new arrivals.

And Ms Allen welcomed the Government’s pledge of an extra £10 million to help improve administration on Lesbos.

“At the moment the difficult position is we just don’t know how many [unaccompanied children] there are,” she said. “And the faster we can process these people, the faster we can find out whether they do have true ref

----- snip -----


read full article at source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-a6850601.html
 
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