Lord Alf Dubs joins Jewish campaigners in refugee demonstration

Rabbis and activists met by Labour peer as part of campaign to allow young refugees to be reunited with their families

Jewish campaigners for child refugees joined a central London demonstration calling on the Government to include an amendment by Lord Alf Dubs in the Brexit Bill.

Rabbis and human rights activists joined the peer, who came to the UK on the Kindertransport, at a rally organised by Safe Passage, a charity calling on MPs to legislate so that young refugees with family in the UK have a safe, legal route here.

“It is important that the Jewish community raises its voice on this important issue,” said Dr Edie Friedman, director of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality (JCORE), who attended the central London rally together with rabbis and others.

“The plight of unaccompanied children is obviously one that resonates with us and we must make sure that we join with others in telling the government that this is not an acceptable way to honour our commitment to one of the mist vulnerable groups.”

Dubs, who addressed the demonstration, said: “It is shocking that the Government is opposing family reunification for child refugees. This won’t stop young refugees from trying to come to Britain, but is likely to result in them taking increasingly dangerous routes to do so, putting them at the mercy of traffickers and people smugglers.”

Campaigners say the Government wants to end a mechanism whereby refugee children and families are allowed to resettle with family in the UK.