HOME secretary Priti Patel did not block the rescue of British orphans and unaccompanied minors from Syria, foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said.
According to reports, during a National Security Committee meeting last month Patel raised objection to bringing British children from Syria citing security reasons.
When quizzed about this by the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday (17), Raab said: "That's not quite right, is it? You're relying on a leaked report from an NSC meeting."
He added: "The Government speaks with one voice, and we've made it very clear that when you've got orphaned children or unaccompanied minors and there's no security threat, then of course we will seek to repatriate them to this country.
"But there are huge challenges in operating on the ground in Syria and elsewhere."
On being asked if the government will try to bring unaccompanied minors back to the UK, he said: "Absolutely."
Reacting to reports of Patel's intervention to block the rescue operation, Save the Children, which has officials working in north-east Syria, said ministers should not be “playing politics” with children’s lives.
James Denselow, head of conflict advocacy at the organisation, told the Guardian: “This is purely political. It’s a case of having ownership at a sensitive time in an election period over an issue that does not have 100% public sentiment behind it, but without that these people will live in limbo with all the consequences that come with it.”
Denselow added: “These are children who have been let down by irresponsible parents and not cared for by an irresponsible state.”
Recently, lieutenant-general Sir Graeme Lamb, former director of special forces and commander of the field army who led British forces in the Iraq war, said children should not be made to suffer for the choices their parents made.
“Children should not be punished for their parents’ actions and decisions – most were forcibly taken to Isis territories, or born into them, and made to live according to its hardline doctrine,” he was quoted as saying by the Guardian.
Davindra and Seema Misra, and Vijay and Gita Parekh
Varchas Patel with his father Vipin and mother Jayshriben
Hasmukh Shingadia and his wife Chandrika were all victims of the Horizon scandal
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)