The UK is "unlikely" to resettle 20,000 refugees by 2020 a report MPs claimed on Wednesday as it targeted ministers for refusing to accept refugees in their own constituencies.
The Home Affairs Committee said there was "scant evidence" the government is track to meet its commitment as it revealed for the first time the number of Syrian refugees resettled in each local authority area. The committee of MPs criticised government ministers and said they should "show leadership" by taking encouraging their own local authorities to take more refugees.
The statistics show that most refugees are resettled in constituencies in Scotland and the north east of England, not areas traditionally held by Conservative MPs.
The chair of the committee Keith Vaz said the "abolition of the role of Minister for Syrian refugees is disappointing". He added: "Focus on this issue is vital if the target of 20,000 is ever to be met, which the current figures show to be unlikely.
"Cabinet Ministers should show leadership in encouraging their own local authorities to take their fair share of Syrian refugees. We need to avoid silently encouraging a two-tier system."
The Archbishop of Canterbury described the migration crisis as "colossal" and told the committee: "This is one of the greatest movements of people in human history. Just enormous."
But despite the "unprecedented" scale of the crisis, Welby said the UK was not "full" and said "we can take more people in" to meet the 20,000 commitment. But he added safe and legal mechanisms for resettlement were needed "to avoid pulling those who would not otherwise come but may feel this is the only resort". He said it was important to offer assistance in the region which migrants were fleeing because "you want to offer people the hope" of being able to remain in their own area.
The MPs also said the European Union states should have foreseen the crises and their response has been "too little, too late".
The report said there 1,255,640 first-time applications for asylum in EU member states in 2015, double the 562,680 in 2014, with over half of these from ongoing war-torn countries Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. But despite the "staggering" numbers, the UK had only resettled 3.1 per cent of those who had arrived in Europe, the MPs said.
Europe's response to the crisis was "lamentable", said Vaz. "The atrocious conditions in migrant camps within and on the borders of the richest countries on earth is a source of shame. It is horrifying that large numbers of the 85,000 unaccompanied children already in the EU have gone missing shortly after arrival, facing abuse and exploitation.
"They have become the EUs 'disappeared ones'. It is unacceptable that the 157 unaccompanied children in Calais with family in the UK have still not arrived here."
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "Our priority is to offer humanitarian support to those most in need while maintaining the security of our borders."
She said more than 1,800 Syrians had been resettled under the government's scheme, and insisted it was "on track" to deliver on its pledge to resettle 20,000 by the end of the Parliament.
