SYRIAN REFUGEES

That this House recognises the scale of the current refugee crisis caused by the ongoing conflict in Syria; welcomes the UK's contribution to the humanitarian aid effort so far; is concerned that despite this support countries bordering Syria are struggling to cope with the numbers of refugees and believes that this threatens the stability of the region; further recognises the UK's proud tradition of protecting refugees and providing sanctuary to those fleeing persecution and war; further recognises that the UK has long sheltered a Syrian diaspora, many of whom have family links to those currently fleeing Syria; regrets that the UK is not one of the 17 countries participating in the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) resettlement programme; notes that Germany has agreed to transfer 5,000 Syrian refugees from Lebanon to Germany; and calls on the Government to work with the UNHCR and the international community to institute an emergency humanitarian evacuation programme and to establish a resettlement programme in the UK.