* Jonathan Bartley: ‘Shutting refugee children out pushes them towards people traffickers, rough sleeping, and all sorts of other dangers’
Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, will join activists sleeping rough outside Downing Street tonight (February 22) in solidarity with lone child refugees in Europe.
The event [1], which has been organised by Help Refugees and Voices for Child Refugees, seeks to make sure refugee children in Europe are not forgotten following the abandonment of the Dubs Amendment [2].
On the morning of the sleep out (February 23) Bartley will join the organisations as they hand in a petition protesting the closure of Dubs.
Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said:
"Our Government has failed some of the most vulnerable children in the world. It is no surprise that more and more children on their own, with no hope of safe, legal passage to the UK since the abandonment of the Dubs scheme, are returning to Calais every day. Shutting these children out just pushes them towards people traffickers, rough sleeping, and all sorts of other dangers.
"The Government has completely neglected its responsibility to these children, but those sleeping outside Downing Street in solidarity with those in Calais, Paris and Dunkirk show British people will not allow refugees to be forgotten. The Government must re-commit to offering the children alone in Europe the security they need."
Notes:
1. https://www.facebook.com/events/244488102676968/
Protesters will gather opposite the Whitehall entrance to Downing Street next to Richmond Terrace from 7pm, February 22.