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Migrants are still making their way through treacherous winter waters, attempting to reach Greece and sanctuary in the European Union.
The British government has offered to take in 20,000 refugees by 2020. As CCTV's Richard Bestic reports, the UK is planning to welcome an additional but unspecified number of unaccompanied child migrants.
The UK says it will work with the United Nations to identify what it calls "exceptional cases' from refugee camps in Syria and neighboring countries.
Save the children says child refugees are quote 'incredibly vulnerable' and has pressed the government to take 3,000.
"I think what the government's done today is listen to the calls that there needs to be extra support and help for refugee children and that they're beginning to do this," said Alasdair Roxburgh, Save the Children's Head of Conflict.
"Now, we mean to make sure that they follow through on this; that they commit to helping these refugee children who are very alone and very vulnerable and take steps as urgently as possible."
Around 26,000 unaccompanied under-18 year-olds have landed on Europe's shores, according to Save the Children.
Those who've ended up in the so-called Jungle in Calais, France, are not included in the UK initiative.
Although, the British government is providing $15 million dollars to help reunite families already in Europe.
"The situation we're facing at the moment with the child refugee crisis is very complicated. We need to make sure there is adequate support for children, effected by conflicts such as the one in Syria and they will become refugees in those neighboring countries like Lebanon and Jordan," Alasdair said.
"But we cannot forget those children who've already arrived in Europe, who've arrived along and are very vulnerable and what we need to do is make sure the government does all it can to help both."
The unaccompanied child migrants brought to Britain will be in addition to the 20,000 refugees the UK has already agreed to take from camps in and around Syria by 2020.
For many of the international aid agencies, like Save the Children here, the devil will be in the detail of the UK's announcement. For now, they are simply welcoming the fact that finally the plight of the most vulnerable from the Syrian civil war has finally made it onto Europe's political and diplomatic agenda.
中文国际网摘编：GAN JADE |
