Anger as ministers quietly shut child refugee scheme

A government scheme to help child refugees caught up in Europe's migrant crisis is set to close after accepting only 350 young people.

Last year, the government launched what became known as the Dubs amendment, named after Lord Dubs, a peer and former refugee who lobbied for the programme.

The law was designed to help unaccompanied children displaced across Europe, whose numbers are estimated at 90,000.

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The exact number of children to be taken in was never specified, though campaigners originally called for 3,000 under-18s to be admitted into the UK, says Sky News.

In a statement, the Home Office announced it would close the scheme and stop receiving refugees at the end of March after accepting only 350 children.

A spokesman for Downing Street said the scheme was "dependent on the resources that councils can provide and the feedback that we have received is that we can deal with 350 children. There is a limit on the capacity local authorities have to provide that level of care."

Lord Dubs has described the decision to halt the scheme as "shameful".

"They shouldn't close the scheme, they should take more children as more local authorities step up to the mark and offer foster places," he told Sky News.

"We're not the only country that should be taking unaccompanied child refugees, but we have no right to back off and say we're not going to take any. I think that's really shabby."

Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat leader, said the closure of the scheme amounted to a "betrayal of these vulnerable children and a betrayal of British values".

According to the BBC, a legal challenge on the government's handling of the scheme will go ahead on Friday.