LONDON
Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said that Britain had accepted about 1,500 Syrian asylum seekers.
Clegg's comments came after a question directed by Labour MP Ian Lucas asking, "Will you agree and support the placement of a limited number of the most vulnerable refugees from Syria in the UK?". Previously, opposition Labour Party had called on the British government to accept about 500 Syrians to the UK.
Adressing British MPs at the House of Commons, Clegg said, "We have accepted about 1,500 asylum seekers. It is a fact that we have accepted hundreds upon hundreds of individual asylum seekers from Syria under our international asylum obligations."
However, Amnesty International criticised Deputy Premier Clegg for conflating asylum seekers who have made it to the UK with people in refugee camps in Syria's neighbouring countries.
Last month, Amnesty International's report revealed that 18 EU countries including the UK and Italy did not make resettlement pledges, and stated "European leaders should hang their heads in shame for not letting more Syrian refugees into their countries".
Reminding Britain's aid for the needed Syrians in the region, Clegg said, "I think that we should all, on all sides of this House, be very proud of the fact that the generosity of the British people, have led to more British assistance going."
British government believes that financial aid is "better" for Syrian refugees.
Lastly, in December, both UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage and Conservative Health Minister Earl Howe urged the British government and other EU member states to open their doors for Syrian refugees.
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