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Rabbi helps secure council pledge on child refugees
Haringey agreed to take in a minimum of three refugee children a year on top of what they are already taking
October 10, 2018 15:13
Haringey agreed to take in a minimum of three refugee children a year on top of what they are already taking
October 10, 2018 15:13Haringey council has agreed to house more unaccompanied refugee children after a senior rabbi led an appeal on behalf of residents.
Rabbi David Mason of Muswell Hill Synagogue was one of five residents who called on the council to take in more refugee children over the next ten years.
On Tuesday, Haringey agreed to take in a minimum of three refugee children a year on top of what they are already taking after the group presented a letter to officials.
The move is part of a national campaign, launched by Lord Alf Dubs and the charity Safe Passage, to mark the 80th anniversary of the Kindertransport in November.
Lord Dubs was one of 10,000 children Britain helped to save from the Nazis and is calling on the government to help more unaccompanied refugee children.
Rabbi Mason and five others, two of whom are Jewish, asked the council to help on the condition the government provides them with more funding to do so.
“Haringey is a diverse borough and it is well placed to bring in more refugee children, but it needs the money,” he said.
“Lord Dubs’ campaign on this issue has been tireless and I hope he is successful in getting the government to support this councils and others.”
Rabbi Mason added: “It is important for Jews to be represented on this issue because of our history. In our group we have someone whose mother was on the Kindertransport.
“We want to make sure we are the strangers who cared.”
Chris Mohr, who was part of the group, said: “There are children in refugee camps who are alone, they are scared and desperate and they need our help. We can’t leave them.
She added: “If enough councils make this pledge, the numbers will help persuade the government to increase funding to a realistic level.”
Lord Dubs and Safe Passage hope to announce the pledges from councils and lobby the government for more funding at the Kindertransport anniversary on November 15.