In response to EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom’s call yesterday for EU member states to act in solidarity to offer protection to people fleeing violence in Libya, Donna Covey Chief Executive of the Refugee Council said:

“We welcome the EU’s appeal for member states to work together to protect those escaping violence in Libya. Today we add our voice in calling for the UK, in solidarity with our EU partners, to offer a place of safety for those in need.

We are deeply concerned for people fleeing the violence in Libya including refugees from across Africa and Asia, who are now in desperate need of protection but have nowhere to turn for help.

“Working with the UN refugee agency over the last few years, we have successfully resettled groups of people with no prospect of ever returning to their own countries into communities across the UK. In response to the Libyan crisis, we urge the UK government, and others across Europe, to now expand the small annual quota of people we accept via this resettlement programme to refugees fleeing the country.

“The UK has taken action to defend the freedom of the people of Northern Africa. It is now time they extended that commitment to those vulnerable people fleeing the violence there, by officially offering them protection in the UK.”