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Release of the Opposition's Refugee Resettlement and Support Plan

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William Croft
(@william-croft)
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William Croft speaks with guests at the Chatham House, before being introduced by the organization's President and taking the stage to deliver his remarks.

Good evening, 

I wanted to begin by thanking the Chatham House for inviting me to speak with you all tonight. There really could be no better place to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Middle East than at one of the oldest and most prestigious centers for sharing ideas on matters of foreign policy. But what I believe makes tonight’s venue particular fitting is the sort of conversations that were known to take place here when Chatham House was founded. It is my understanding that this place was first created to be a forum for frank discussion and lively debate on topics that may be somewhat controversial. It afforded an opportunity to be direct, to speak candidly, and to truly hear all sides of an argument. 

I can’t think of a better place for tonight’s discussion. Too often in modern politics do we mince words, speak in slogans, or say what we think people will want to hear. When it comes to an issue like the Syrian refugee crisis, we simply can’t afford to engage in such nonsense. We must be willing to discuss the issue, we must be candid, and we must be straight with the British people about the scale of the problem we are facing. My promise to you is that tonight, and always, I will consistently endeavor to be frank about the challenges we face as a country, even when it’s not politically advantageous to do so. 

My goal tonight is very simple: I would like to present the Conservative Party’s alternative plan for addressing the Syrian refugee crisis. This is a crisis of epic proportions, a humanitarian disaster that requires the global communities immediate attention. I believe strongly that The United Kingdom has a duty to act, an obligation as one of the world’s most powerful nations to step up and take leadership on this issue. We have done so in refugee crises in the past, and we will continue to do so in the future. If we ever lose sight of our moral commitment to promote global good, we will lose our place as a global power.  

So let me be very clear: there is no doubt amongst those of us in the Conservative Party that Britain must come to the aid of the men, women, and children who so desperately need our help. Our disagreement with the Government lies not in the need to act, but in their decision to act without a fully thought out plan that reflects the complexity of the challenges this issue presents. We simply believe that we must get this right, and getting it right requires a real plan. 

So, with that being said, let’s begin. 

First, the Conservative Party proposes that The United Kingdom lead an effort to create a multinational coalition with the aim of aiding and resettling the refugees displaced in the Middle East. The coalition would consist of the European Union, the United Nations, the Arab League and the member states of the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (RRRP), and would be formed to provide a blueprint for addressing a few key aspects of the crisis. Specifically, the coalition would be tasked with determining the following: how many refugees each country will take in, determining where refugees should be resettled in a manner that prioritizes their wellbeing, and establishing a procedure for the safe and effective relocation of refugees from the region and into their new country.  

Fairly distributing the responsibility of taking in refugees and ensuring the process of relocation and resettlement is done effectively simply cannot happen if Britain acts alone. Not only must we work with our allies in Europe and the United States to predetermine the share of refugees each nation will take, but we will be going into the situation blind if we deny ourselves the chance to work alongside our Middle Eastern allies who understand the situation on the ground better than anyone else. The member states of the RRRP, who at this point have been fully ignored by the Government, have already taken in hundreds of thousands if not millions of refugees. Germany, Italy, and Switzerland have already begun doing the same. Turkey is in a pivotal geographic position, situated between Europe and the Middle East, and must be engaged in order ensure the managed and orderly movement of refugees. These countries are partners we should turn to, and have invaluable information and experience we must rely on if we’re to execute resettlement effectively. 

Simply put, any plan that fails to utilize multinational cooperation to solve this issue is a plan doomed to fail. 

Second, we would scrap the Government’s Refugee Admittance Act and convene a special Parliamentary committee tasked with developing a comprehensive plan for refugee integration into The United Kingdom. There is no question that the Refugee Admittance Act, in its current form, is woefully insufficient and lacks the detail necessary to account for the scope of the challenge we will face with integrating refugees into British life and society. No one MP, nor any one party, has all of the answers when it comes to how we ensure all of the refugees coming into Britain are living successful, meaningful, happy lives in our country. Rather than attempting to pretend like we do have the answers, the Conservative Party believes we should utilize a Parliamentary committee to bring in the best minds to produce the best solutions. 

Specifically, the committee would be responsible for developing a plan to determine where refugees will be relocated and how those areas are chosen, what support and services refugees will require to successfully integrate into British society, and finally how to develop an effective vetting process specific to this crisis to ensure we screen out any hostile actors attempting to enter into our country. This week we saw the former Prime Minister, Calvin Ward, present the nonsensical suggestion that Britain would allow the United Nations to handle the vetting process for us. These illogical, unfounded suggestions are precisely the reason why we need a Parliamentary committee that can review a multitude of options and collectively land on the best solution. 

Once complete, the recommendations made by the committee on these topic areas would be published in a report, made available to the public, and utilized as the basis of legislation that will be passed through Parliament. Once codified into law, the programs and the funding necessary to operate them will be set in place and ready to go when refugees begin entering into the country. 

 

I was encouraged this week to hear that, after some initial intense opposition, senior Labour Cabinet Ministers are finally coming around to the idea of a Parliamentary committee. A cross-party committee, with representatives of all major parties, working together in a collaborative fashion is in my opinion the best way to generate the solutions we need to tackle this problem. Again, this is a crisis of global proportions, something so massive and complicated that is obvious that no one person or group will be able to solve it alone. Coming together, something we should frankly do more often, and working towards the common goal of a plan that will best fit the needs of the refugees while balancing our obligations to the British people is the right way to tackle the challenge before us. 

I hope that the Government’s actions will match their rhetoric, and that they will take swift action to convene the Parliamentary committee. 

Finally, we would establish an international coalition of nations working together with the express aim of destroying ISIL. It is critical that we recognize that the ongoing refugee crisis in Syria, that has now spilled over into neighboring countries across the Middle East, stands only to be further exacerbated as a result of the chaos being caused by ISIL. The terrorist organization, determined to impose their tyrannical will and murdere anyone who stands in their way, has taken advantage of the refugee crisis to wreak havoc and amplify tensions throughout the region. Their violent advance across the region has resulted in even more displaced people, individuals who are then targeted by ISIL to join their cause. Any long term plan aimed at aiding refugees in the region must include a comprehensive strategy to destroy ISIL, using both humanitarian and military tactics, or they will continue to utilize the crisis to their advantage. 

We recommend the continued use of humanitarian aid and targeted military action, executed in tandem with a coalition of allied nations, to ramp up the offensive against ISIL until the threat the terrorist group poses to civilians and refugees in the region is eliminated. The Conservative Party fully backed the Government’s decision to authorize targeted airstrikes against ISIL with the cooperation of the Iraqi government, and at the time I personally indicated that our party believed further action would need to be taken. That sentiment remains true, and now more than ever it is clear that greater intervention must take place in order to end ISIL’s reign of terror across the Middle East. No human being should be forced to live in fear that they and their family will be murdered simply because of who they are or what they believe. That fear cannot be eliminated until ISIL is eliminated. 

Acting in tandem with a coalition of Western and Middle Eastern allies to authorize coordinated airstrikes, providing assistance to Iraqi and other allied forces on the ground, and providing humanitarian and economic assistance to at-risk civilians is vital if we are to degrade and destroy ISIL. I will be very clear in stating that I speak for the entirety of my party when I say I do not believe Britain should commit any ground troops to the conflict. I think such an action would be counterproductive to any military strategy, and I am uncomfortable with the idea of risking the lives of British soldiers when other actionable strategies exist. I will also note that, separate from this plan to deal with the refugee crisis, the Conservative Party remains totally opposed to the dictatorial Assad regime and believes Britain should play a leading role in guaranteeing the regime never again utilizes chemical weapons against civilians. 

These three points constitute the core of the Conservative Party’s alternative plan for addressing the refugee crisis, but we know that even more work must be done. So please believe me when I say the intent of my speech this evening is not to suggest that I have all the answers, or that the refugee crisis we are watching unfold could be quickly solved if only the Government would adopt my plan. I respect the magnitude of the challenge that faces us, not just here in Britain but around the world. It is because this problem is so great and so complex that I am here with you tonight with the simple message that we cannot go it alone. No one person, no one nation, has the ability or resources to solve this problem on their own. I won’t pretend to be the exception, and neither should the Government. 

To conclude, I would just like to say this: all of us here in The United Kingdom are united in our desire to help those who have lost everything. I think I speak for all of us in Britain when I say that what is happening in the Middle East is an outrage, and that we must do our part to bring this nightmare to an end. That is why I believe it is so critical that we get this right. My disappointment with the Government’s plan is not in the intent, but in its proposed execution. I want Britain to be a leader on this issue, I want us to set an example for the world to see. To do that, however, takes more than bold ideas. It requires responsible governance, careful and deliberate decision making, and the resolute understanding that we must work alongside our allies. That is what the Conservative Party will work to impress upon the Government. 

Thank you very much, and I would be more than happy to take questions.

William Croft
Member of Parliament for Bracknell
Shadow Foreign Secretary
Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chief Whip of the Conservative party


   
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Richard
(@richard)
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Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 159
 

Based on the issues the last two Governments have had, this is a good thing for Croft to highlight.

+1 policy XP for Croft

Rick the Admin - The Resident Psephologist
Admin for Cabinet, PM's Office, DPM's Office, Defence, Energy, Regions, Environment, Transport, Communities, Elections, and Advisor to Labour and the Lib Dems


   
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