Yvette Cooper MP, Shadow Home Secretary said:

“Britain cannot be seen to turn its back on the most vulnerable  Syrian refugees who will struggle to survive or cope in the camps, and must support the UN urgently.

“The Government response on the UN programme for vulnerable Syrian refugees is completely inadequate - as Tory and Liberal backbenchers and even the Deputy Prime Minister have now accepted.

"The Government should be applauded for its aid effort in the region and in Syria - which we all support. But that makes it all the more important that Britain is seen to support the most vulnerable refugees as part of the UN effort. Home Office resistance must not prevent Britain doing its bit.

“This isn’t an either-or, it’s both. This is a limited programme to help those that have been tortured, children who have been abandoned, women who have been raped and those who need to leave the camps.

"The message to the international community most of whom are involved in the UN programme should be clear: support the displaced in the region and help the most vulnerable refugees through the UN assistance programme.

"Britain should not turn its back on people who have suffered enough and the Home Secretary and Prime Minister need to change their minds now.”