Prime Minister appears to agree to a four-nation summit to tackle Afghanistan refugee crisis
The Prime Minister appears to have agreed to a four-nation summit to work out the best way of helping refugees from Afghanistan.
During a specially-recalled session of the House of Commons, the Scottish National Party Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland should take part in talks to deal with the crisis.
In response to Mr Blackford's request, Boris Johnson nodded and mouthed "all the time."
"So, we have on the record that the Prime Minister is happy for the Four Nations summit and I'm grateful for that", Mr Blackford MP said.
The Prime Minister and the UK Government faced considerable criticism from MPs during the session.
Two Welsh MPs raised concerns about the timetable for resettling refugees from Afghanistan. The Home Secretary has promised that the UK will enable 20,000 Afghans to settle here over the next five years, with 5,000 being brought here over the next year.
The Labour MP for Rhondda said that timescale meant many thousands of people were being left in danger.
Chris Bryant said, “The Home Secretary announced this morning that the UK will be taking 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan, but that only 5,000 will be able to come this year. What are the 15,000 meant to do: hang around and wait until they've been executed?”
The Prime Minister defended the plan and also said that “the bulk of the effort of this country will be directed and should be directed to supporting people in Afghanistan and in the region … in order to prevent a worse, humanitarian crisis.”
The Leader of the Welsh Conservative, Andrew RT Davies tweeted during the debate about the "moving" speeches he had heard.
Another Welsh Labour MP said there’d been “chaos” in getting information for people trapped in Afghanistan who’d been working with UK forces and charities.
Cardiff South and Penarth MP Stephen Doughty told MPs: “Many of us across this house will have experienced chaos in the last 24 or 48 hours in communicating information through to the ground to get some of those people out of the country.”
He urged the Prime Minister to “give us some assurances about how we can get that information through so that we can get those brave people out of there, including many at risk of their lives right now, in Kabul.”
Boris Johnson replied that “The operation has stabilised since the weekend, but it remains precarious, and the UK officials on the ground are doing everything they can to expedite the movement of people, those that need to come out.”
He insisted that the UK Government was doing all it could.
“The most important, Mr Speaker, is that we get this done in an expeditious fashion as we can and that's what we are doing, and I may say that I'm grateful, not just to the UK forces who are helping to stabilise the Air Force, but also to the US forces as well."
The PM also said: "It is fair to say that at the moment the Taliban is allowing people to access the airport", but the loud groan from opposition members of the House indicated a lack of confidence over how long that would continue.
Meanwhile Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts MP cast doubt on the pledge itself.
The Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP said: “Considering that the government promised in 2016 to save 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children from Calais, is he not concerned that the numbers that have actually been saved stand at around 380?
“And if those promises can be broken, and amongst those children are many from Afghanistan, is he concerned that the promises made today may be as unrobust as those of the past?”
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