UK plans aid but not visas for Turkey-Syria earthquake survivors

Follow the latest news on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria

The UK government has no plans to introduce an immigration scheme to enable earthquake survivors in Syria and Turkey to join relatives in Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman has said.

Tens of thousands have been left homeless by the natural disaster, while rescuers continue to assess the full scale of the damage.

The death toll on Thursday passed 20,000 as emergency responders continued to search through rubble for survivors.

Some of those affected by the quake in south-eastern Turkey are refugees who had fled the Syrian civil war.

Communities in regions of Syria hit by the huge earthquake and its aftershocks had already been living in dire conditions after more than a decade of violence.

The UK has announced millions of pounds of aid for the victims.

A plane carrying 77 British search-and-rescue experts, four sniffer dogs and specialist equipment including seismic listening devices and concrete cutting tools arrived in Gaziantep on Wednesday evening, adding to the international response.

Mr Sunak on Thursday said the government would match £5 million ($6 million) in funds raised through the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal to help the rescue and relief effort.

But his official spokesman said there would be no new visa scheme in response to the disaster.

A team of more than 70 British search and rescue specialists arrive in Turkey. Photo: FCDO

The spokesman said the topic of whether the crisis could drive up numbers of people illegally crossing the English Channel in small boats from France to Britain had not been discussed.

Speaking at a briefing on Thursday, he said there were existing safe and legal routes that allow people to immigrate to the UK if they have family members in the country.

The spokesman said thousands of people had in recent years gone to the UK under schemes for Ukrainians fleeing war and Afghans fleeing Taliban rule.

“We have allowed thousands of other people seeking asylum into the UK,” he said.

But he stopped short of suggesting a similar programme would be brough in for Syrians and Turks.

The UK government has in the past been criticised for the lack of safe and legal routes on offer to people from Syria.

Campaigners say the gap pushes desperate Syrians into the hands of people smugglers who charge massive rates for perilous journeys to the UK.

Last year saw the record for illegal Channel migration smashed in the UK. More than 45,000 arrivals were recorded — over 60 per cent higher than the previous 12 months.

Four in 10 who entered the UK illegally by the Channel came from five countries — Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Eritrea and Sudan.

Home Office figures from 2021 show Syrians were among the top 10 nationalities of people who arrived in small boats. Nine in 10 (88 per cent) were granted refugee status after making the perilous voyage.

The spokesman said he was unaware of whether the UK had plans to increase the amount of aid offered to earthquake victims.

He said the government would be open to allocating more money to the fund if it considered it to be necessary.

The UK is sending essentials such as blankets and tents to help survivors cope in freezing temperatures.

The package will meet the needs of up to 15,000 people, the Foreign Office said.

A team of medics with surgical abilities and equipment to provide vital emergency treatment is also being sent to the disaster zone.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said officials were working closely with Ankara to deliver aid.

“The UK is sending life-saving kits to Turkey and Syria,” he said.

“This will include vital medical expertise and hygiene kits and also tents and blankets to help people keep warm and sheltered in the terrible freezing conditions they are having to endure, on top of the devastation of the earthquakes.

“Our priority is to ensure life-saving assistance is given to those most in need, co-ordinated with the Turkish government, UN and international partners.”

Late on Thursday, the UK government announced it was sending a field hospital, a critical-care support team and a Hercules C-130 aircraft to Turkey to help provide vital emergency treatment.

“The UK stands ready to assist our close allies and friends during this terrible time," Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.

"We will keep options open for further assistance as requested."

The Hercules will be used to move casualties within Turkey.

A planning team will support the British embassy in co-ordinating the UK’s support, using their experience in operational delivery, logistics and communication.

The government on Thursday also announced more support for people affected by the earthquake in north-west Syria.

Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, the UK's Middle East minister, said the latest package of £800,000 would go to the White Helmets “to assist essential front line search and rescue operations”.

More than 2,500 White Helmets volunteers are involved in the response across about 40 communities in north-west Syria.

Lord Ahmad said they “are playing a critical and life-saving role in Syria in the most desperate circumstances following the earthquakes.”

“The UK is proud of our long-standing partnership with them,” he said. “The White Helmets, throughout the conflict, have demonstrated unwavering commitment and dedication. This has included saving over 115,000 lives and providing essential services to more than four million Syrians.

“Our collective priority now is to ensure life-saving assistance is given to those most in need. The White Helmets are best placed to deliver this in north-west Syria.”

The announcement brings Britain's total funding to the White Helmets to £3.8 million since the earthquake struck on Monday.

Khaled Khatib, a White Helmets spokesman, told The National that Syrians in affected areas are dealing with a “catastrophic” situation.

He said many buildings that collapsed when the quake struck were unstable due to the lack of building materials available in recent years. He said it was likely the buildings would have withstood the shocks if they had had secure foundations.

“The situation is very catastrophic, according to our capabilities,” he said. “We need heavy machinery and equipment to save lives. There are promises from partners to provide aid, and we hope that it will arrive as soon as possible.

“The number of buildings that have been demolished is in the hundreds. Many of the simple buildings that were built by the displaced have fallen because they were not built properly, as have the buildings that were damaged by previous bombing, which led to the collapse of the earthquake.”

Rescue efforts following the earthquake in Syria and Turkey — in pictures

On Thursday evening, the Prime Minister met University College London students at a donation centre set up after the disaster by UCL's Turkish Society.

Mr Sunak praised the volunteers, helping pack items at the centre and donating hats, scarves and blankets.

“It’s been amazing to spend time with the students here at UCL who have come together to organise donations,” he told reporters.

“People in Turkey are affected by this awful tragedy and I’m sure this has been replicated across the country.

“It’s really hard, actually, to comprehend the scale of the tragedy that has happened.

“I as a dad, watching parents try and find their young children in the rubble, is heartbreaking.

“And we will do everything that we can to help Turkey.”

UK plans aid but not visas for Turkey-Syria earthquake survivors

London has sent search and rescue workers, four sniffer dogs and specialist equipment to Turkey

Rescue efforts following the earthquake in Syria and Turkey — in pictures