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Paul-Butler-main_article_image.jpg
Keith Blundy
UK News

Bishops praise government aid response to Syria but still want number of refugees taken in more than doubled

by Aaron James

In an open letter to the Daily Telegraph, Rt Revds Paul Butler (pictured above) and David Walker say the UK's commitment to spending 0.7% of Gross National Income on humanitarian aid, and the 900 million pounds in aid it's given towards the Syria crisis since 2012, "represents a significant contribution to the safety and security of the men, women and children of Syria."

However the bishops are still calling for the government to take in 50,000 refugees by 2020, rather than the current number of 20,000 it's committed to.

Messrs Butler and Walker were among 84 Anglican bishops who signed another open letter less than a week ago calling for the measure.

They said in today's letter: "The government's spending on international aid and development is one of the things of which we can be most proud as a country.

"The Prime Minister understands that our moral obligation as a nation requires more than money alone. It also requires political will and the practical outworking of compassion set out in our letter to him.

"We continue to look forward to receiving a substantive response from him to our recent proposals on how we can do more as a nation for those whose suffering is daily before us, such as increasing the number of people we welcome here whose lives have been rent asunder by conflict and war."

A Downing Street spokesman said: "We have announced that the UK will resettle an additional 20,000 Syrian refugees over the course of this Parliament.

"It is absolutely right that Britain should fulfil its moral responsibility to help the refugees, just as we have done so proudly throughout our history. But in doing so, we must use our head and our heart by pursuing a comprehensive approach that tackles the causes of the problem as well as the consequences. 

"The UK is the second largest donor in the world after America, helping refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. Our total contribution to the Syrian crisis is more than £1.12bn."

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