NICOLA Sturgeon yesterday backed calls for the UK to open its doors to desperate people fleeing war and conflict as heartbreaking pictures emerged of a young refugee child who drowned in the Mediterranean.
One of the photographs shows the boy, aged about three or four, lying face down in the sand on a Turkish beach as an official stands over him. Another image shows a rescue worker carrying his lifeless body.
The little boy is believed to be Syrian and is thought to have died in an attempt to flee the war ravaging his country.
He is one of 11 Syrian refugees feared dead yesterday after they drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean on two boats bound for the Greek island of Kos.
Earlier yesterday, before the distressing images emerged, the First Minister was asked about the crisis and whether she would like to see Scotland take part in a scheme which would allow 10,000 refugees to enter Britain within a month.
She said: “Yes, I would and I’ve said to David Cameron... I’ve written to David Cameron and made clear that if there is an agreement on the part of the UK Government to fully participate in an EU-wide relocation scheme, and I think there should be, then Scotland would play its full part.”
Her comments followed a call by Labour leadership candidate Yvette Cooper that the UK could take 10,000 migrants within a month to help deal with the humanitarian crisis.
“I welcome Yvette Cooper’s comments,” the First Minister added. “It’s welcome to hear a UK politician like Yvette Cooper say what she has said. We have consistently urged the UK Government to take a more humanitarian approach to this... I wish we would stop calling them migrants.
“They are human beings and we are seeing human beings in a situation of great adversity and I think many people would want to see the UK play a part in a humanitarian response.”
Later Cooper drew attention to photographs of the boy, saying Britain must stop turning its back on refugees.
“When mothers are desperately trying to stop their babies from drowning when their boat has capsized, when people are being left to suffocate in the backs of lorries by evil gangs of traffickers and when children’s bodies are being washed to shore, Britain needs to act,” she said.
“It is heartbreaking what is happening on our continent. We cannot keep turning our backs on this.”
Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, convener of the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council, welcomed the calls.
“These refugees are coming from some of the most desperate situations imaginable.
“By opening our minds, our hearts and our borders, by welcoming them as family, we display our true identity, members of a global community and a country who lives out radical hospitality and compassion.”
This year has seen thousands of refugees lose their lives in the Mediterranean as people from the Middle East and Africa try to reach Europe.
There have also been desperate scenes across the continent, including at Calais and in Hungary as those who have survived the sea crossing continue their journey to seek safety.
In Europe, some refugees including young children, have perished in lorries which have been abandoned.
Yet despite the growing crisis the UK Government has refused to take part in a EU resettlement scheme.
Germany has vowed to take a total of 800,000 refugees by the end of this year.
In June, the UK Government came under fire for opting out of the scheme designed to relieve the pressure from southern European countries. Members agreed to resettle 40,000 refugees then in Italy and Greece and another 20,000 people currently outside the EU. But Britain and a handful of other European nations, including Hungary and Poland, chose not to take part.
Recent figures from the Home Office revealed there were just 25,771 asylum applications in the year ending June 2015.
YESTERDAY, Prime Minister David Cameron insisted the crisis would not be solved simply by taking in more refugees. He said the most important solution is to bring peace and stability to the Middle East and stressed the UK has taken a number of asylum seekers from Syria.
Meanwhile, former Labour foreign secretary David Miliband has called for more “burden sharing” and insisted the UN rules which were drawn up in the wake of Britain taking in thousands fleeing the Nazis should now apply to Africans and Asians.
He said: “There needs to be some burden-sharing ... bigger countries taking more people than smaller countries, richer countries taking more people than poorer countries.”
Miliband suggested the “incorrect” description of refugees as “migrants” was politically convenient as it implies that people are leaving their countries in search of a better life rather than being forced to flee from bombs and bullets.
Ian Preston: Immigration isn’t a drain on the economy ... it’s more likely to be a boost
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here