Home Secretary refuses to participate in the EU's emergency resettlement programme

In response to Home Secretary Theresa May, Susan Munroe, Chief Executive, Freedom from Torture, said:

"The Home Secretary's refusal to participate in the EU's emergency resettlement programme is disappointing but does not preclude the UK from increasing the number of refugee resettlement places it offers on a voluntary basis.

So far the UK's response to the crisis unfolding in these 'death boats' on the Mediterranean has failed to match the outpouring of sympathy from the British public. It is almost certainly the case that survivors of torture and other serious human rights abuses are among those risking their lives to make this perilous crossing. These vulnerable people – who have the right under international law to request protection – are left with no other choice because states like the UK have failed to offer them legal pathways to safety.

Ahead of Wednesday's meeting, the Home Secretary should be thinking about what the UK will do to ease this dire situation, rather than focusing on what it will not do. A significant voluntary increase of resettlement places for those fleeing from torture and other forms of persecution would be a welcome start."