Latest UK pledge for refugees falls short

Today (13 December) the UK government announced a package of new pledges for refugees at the global refugee forum in Geneva, including £4 million to support inclusive refugee education.

Responding to the Government’s announcement, Rose Caldwell, Chief Executive of global children’s charity Plan International UK said:  

“Whilst we welcome any new support towards global efforts to improve refugee education, far more needs to be done to meet the needs of the record number of children and young people who have been forced to flee their homes. 

“The Government’s pledges today follow years of devastating cuts to overseas aid, which have coincided with a rapidly growing number of children losing access to education due to conflict, hunger, and natural disasters. Last year, just 37% of displaced adolescents were enrolled in secondary education[1]. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. 

“Refugee girls have been especially impacted by global crises and continue to face widespread and growing dangers such as sexual assault, forced marriage, and trafficking. For these girls, education can be a lifeline.  

“Given the rapidly growing needs of displaced children and adolescents, we urge the Government to step up its response by immediately reinstating the 0.7 per cent aid target and increasing overall funding for the 110 million people who have been forced to flee their homes worldwide. 

“Furthermore, if the Government is serious about supporting refugees, then it must also protect the rights of displaced children and young people arriving in the UK. We remain extremely concerned by ongoing plans to send vulnerable people to Rwanda, which the Supreme Court has previously ruled to be contrary to international law. The Government must immediately abandon this cruel, unworkable, and ineffective plan.” 

-Ends- 

 

Plan International UK Press Office 

Tel: 0300 777 7374 Switchboard: 0300 777 9777 / +44 (0)20 7608 1311 (Non-UK) 

Email: [email protected] Web: plan-uk.org/media-centre 

References 

[1] GRF-Policy-Brief-FINAL.pdf (plan-international.org) 

About Plan International UK 

Plan International UK is a global children’s charity striving for an equal world. One where every child can reach their full potential and every girl can choose her own future. Poverty, violence, and discrimination still hold back millions of children around the world. And it’s often girls that are most affected. That’s why ensuring girls get equal chances in life is at the heart of everything we do. We work across more than 80 countries to build a future where every child is safe and receives an education. A world where all girls are free from violence, in control of their own body, know their rights and have their voices heard. And if disaster strikes, we’re there too. We work to protect children, keep them learning and help their communities recover.  

But we don’t do it alone. To create lasting change, we work together with children, local communities, partners, and our supporters who believe a better future is possible.  

We won’t stop until we are all equal. www.plan-uk.org