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ALMOST 100 celebs joined forces yesterday to pile pressure on David Cameron to step up the government’s commitment to reunite stranded refugees with their families in Britain.
Actors Mark Rylance and Jude Law, musician Paloma Faith and left-wing film directors Ken Loach and Mike Leigh are among the star-studded cast to sign a hard-hitting open letter to the Prime Minister.
Their plea calls on Britain to “step up and do more” to help “vulnerable refugees.”
It reads: “The conflict in Syria has now entered its sixth brutal and deadly year.
“Nearly 12 million Syrians have fled their homes; almost five million of them to Syria’s neighbouring countries. The suffering they have endured and continue to endure can barely be imagined.”
The letter, backed by charities Refugee Action and Citizens UK, recognises the “substantial aid” being used to help Syrian refugees but says “as the crisis grows so too must our response.
“Many organisations and public figures have stepped up to help protect children in Calais, but across Europe thousands of refugee children are still stranded without hope or support.
“In the UK, Syrians with close family in refugee camps or conflict zones often cannot legally bring their relatives to safety.
“We are seeing the reality of this human crisis play out on our TV screens week after week.
“Families are desperate to reach their loved ones. Traumatised children have no-one to protect them. “Men, women and children are putting their lives at risk to seek safety.”
The letter comes before a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) meeting on Syrian refugees, which will be held in Geneva next Wednesday.
Campaigners are urging the government to seize the “unique opportunity to do more by expanding the rules around family reunion.”
The letter adds: “As the UNHCR convenes a high-level meeting calling for world leaders to step up and do more to help Syrian refugees, we urge you to continue that legacy by urgently doing more to protect these vulnerable refugees.
“We call on you to increase our resettlement commitment and to strengthen family reunion policies to help separated children and divided families.”
