George Osborne signals major U-turn on refugee children as Downing Street prepares to open the door for some living in camps inside the EU

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George Osborne signalled the UK Government is preparing to open the door to some child refugees living in camps inside the EU today in a major climbdown.

Under pressure from MPs and peers, Downing Street has accepted that it will not be able to face down a parliamentary revolt on their plight.

The Chancellor said this morning the Government is 'in discussions' over whether the UK can help unaccompanied children who have already arrived in Europe.

The anticipated U-turn also follows calls from the Daily Mail to give sanctuary to unaccompanied children in squalid European refugee camps.

David Cameron is preparing to open the door to some child refugees (pictured) living in camps inside the EU in a major climbdown after Downing Street accepted that it will not be able to face down a parliamentary revolt 

Officials have now been instructed to work on a plan which would make it easier for those who can prove they have family in Britain to move here from countries such as France and Greece.

Under a scheme known as Dublin 3, youngsters who have a sibling or aunt or uncle already here are eligible to relocate to the UK, but the rules are strictly administered – benefitting only 23 children who were living in squalor in Calais. 

Relaxing the rules to include extended family, while making more strenuous efforts to identify would-be beneficiaries, is now under consideration by No10 and the Home office.

Indicating an announcement would come later today, Mr Osborne said this morning: 'Britain has always been a home to the vulnerable and we’ve always done what we need to do to help people who are fleeing persecution. 

George Osborne (pictured yesterday) signalled a U-turn was imminent, saying the Government is 'in discussions' over whether the UK can help unaccompanied children who have already arrived in Europe

'That’s why we are taking people from the refugee camps as a result of this terrible Syrian civil war and we’re working with others, with charities, with other political parties, talking to people about what we can do to help the unaccompanied children as well, where we’re already providing financial support. 

'So we are in those discussions and those discussions will go on and you will hear what we’ve got to say in due course,' the Chancellor added. 

An announcement is expected to be made in the House of Commons at lunch time today.  

Officials are also looking at extending the 'humanitarian protection' which is currently granted to children taken from refugee camps on the border with Syria to youngsters already present in Europe.

Under this special status, they are granted permission to stay in the UK for an initial five years only.

Last week the Mail published a leader that said: 'It cannot be stressed too strongly that, under international law, the UK has no duty to these children, however wretched or desperate they may be.' 

But it went on: 'While we understand the arguments for hardening our hearts, we believe that in the exceptional circumstances of this crisis, it would be wrong to do so. True, we have no legal or treaty obligation to lift a finger to help. But our moral and humanitarian duty cannot so easily be shrugged off.'

The proposals are likely to be unveiled at the end of this week ahead of a House of Commons vote on Monday.

Senior Government sources said the Prime Minister was determined not to do anything which would increase the UK's 'pull factor' and lead to more children being put on boats to Europe in the hope of a new life in Britain.

Officials have been instructed by David Cameron to work on a plan which would make it easier for those who can prove they have family in Britain to move to the UK from countries such as France and Greece

But insiders said there was a recognition that, if the Government's flagship Immigration Bill is to clear Parliament by the end of the current session, concessions would have to be made.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokeswoman hinted at the climbdown yesterday. She said: 'There's a bit of time for the Government to be thinking about that and how we make progress on the immigration bill. As on any bill, it is quite sensible that you consider how you take it through the House and how you get it on to the statute book.'

Up to 35 Tory MPs and eight Democratic Unionist Party members have signalled they intend to switch sides and back a compromise plan put forward by Labour peer Lord Dubs.

His attempt to make Britain take 3,000 child refugees from the EU was blocked in a Commons vote last Monday with a majority of just 18. His latest amendment – which does not give a specific number of beneficiaries – will be voted upon in the Commons on Monday. Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: 'The Prime Minister has dragged his heels for far too long.

'In that time more vulnerable children in refugee camps across Europe will have fallen into the hands of traffickers and those who would push them into forced labour or sex work.'

Yesterday Lord Dubs, who fled to Britain as a child fleeing Nazi persecution, asked potential foster parents to put their name forward to take a refugee child in readiness for the climbdown. He has described the Government's position as 'a monumental political misjudgment'.

Lord Dubs said he would not accept any compromise that involved Britain contributing funding to other European countries without bringing any child refugees to our shores. He said: 'It dodges the issue. There is no question of our dealing with it all ourselves but we should have some share of the responsibility.'

Today Yvette Cooper, who chairs Labour's taskforce on the issue, will visit child refugees in Athens with Stephen Phillips, the Tory MP who led the rebellion against the Government.

They want to highlight the plight of vulnerable, unaccompanied youngsters languishing in squalid conditions in the EU.

Miss Cooper said: 'The Government is resisting helping child refugees in Europe because the Prime Minister has said they are safe. However, children's homes in Italy and Greece are full and charities are warning thousands of children are at risk.'