The Foreign Office is investigating whether “safe passage” can be provided to bring three orphans discovered in Syria back to Britain, Dominic Raab said today.
The Foreign Secretary also announced that Britain is to halt new arms export licences to Turkey following its invasion of north-east Syria.
Amira, 10, Hiba, eight, and Hamza, about the same age, who are reported to be from London, were discovered in the Ain Issa camp for Islamic State families.
They are now thought to be in Raqqa after aid workers took them there when Kurdish guards left their posts at the camp in the face of a Turkish military advance.
Mr Raab told the Commons: “We are looking in relation to orphans and unaccompanied minors who bear UK nationality whether they can be provided safe passage to return to the UK because… it’s utterly unfair that such innocents should be caught in the crossfire.”
Mr Raab condemned the offensive by Nato ally Turkey as “reckless” and “counter-productive” and for “playing straight into the hands of Russia and indeed the Assad regime”.
He told the Commons: “The UK Government takes its arms export control responsibilities very seriously and in this case, of course, we will keep our defence exports to Turkey under very careful and continual review.
“No further export licences to Turkey for items that might be used in military operations in Syria will be granted while we conduct that review.”
