Tomorrow, MPs will vote on the Prime Minister’s plan to scrap protections for child refugees.
 
The charity Safe Passage, who support refugee children to reunite with their families, have already been receiving panicked messages from families ahead of the vote. The families are afraid that their children, siblings, nephews or nieces, will not be able to reach them before it is too late – we need to make sure that this does not become a reality.
 
The government is saying that it still wants a safe route for child refugees, but doesn’t want it in the Brexit bill – we believe that this is not enough, and that we cannot risk abandoning our commitment to family reunification as an effect of exiting the EU.
 
There are many ways we can all ensure that MPs hear our voices, and that they fight to keep family reunification in place tomorrow.
 
How to help:
 
1.     Write to your MP if you haven’t already done so – Safe Passage have created a tool to make this easy https://www.safepassage.org.uk/save-refugee-family-reunion
 
2.     Tweet your MP to ask them to protect child refugees in the vote tomorrow
 
3.     Write a letter to your local paper (see a suggested letter below) – MPs take note of what goes into the local paper and it is a good way to make your voice heard!
 
4.     Please comment to let us know who you have contacted, AND what your MP has said in response – this is extremely helpful, as it allows us to lobby further!
 
This is not the last chance – the Lords will also be voting on the amendment, and we are more likely to get support from them, but the more momentum we build through MPs the better!
 
Many thanks to you all!
 
In solidarity,
 
Melissa x
 
 
 
-- Sample letter (use this or write your own – we would suggest under 250 words) --
 
Dear Editor,
 
I’m appalled that the government is planning to scrap protections for child refugees through the Brexit withdrawal agreement. The family reunification scheme, which allows unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with their family members here in the UK, is under threat from this government.
 
Many of these children are living in squalid camps or on the streets, and their only hope is to reach their families here – many become separated on the journey, or are forced to travel alone, due to conditions of war or persecution.
 
I am one of almost 150,000 signers for a petition to get the government to keep the scheme – I would like to see our local MP supporting this campaign, and my fellow readers. I do not believe we should abandon these children.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
[your name]