UK MP praised for impassioned speech for child refugees

An impassioned speech given by one of Britain's Labour MPs has drawn attention to the plight of thousands of child refugees turning to "survival sex" in Europe.

Yvette Cooper took umbrage at UK Prime Minister David Cameron's statement that children were "safe" once they entered the European Union.

"There are children's homes full in Italy and Greece and over 1000 children will sleep rough in Greece alone tonight – how are they safe?" Cooper told the House of Commons yesterday.

"Ten thousand children have disappeared alone in Europe, how are they safe?

"The agencies say that children are committing 'survival sex'; they are being abused, subject to prostitution, and rape."

Cooper's speech was met with a round of applause, despite the practice being banned in the House of Commons.

The British Government has voted down a bid from the opposition for the UK to admit child refugees already in the EU who are unaccompanied by adults.

The push is led by House of Lords peer Alf Dubs, himself a child refugee brought into England from Nazi-occupied Prague in the 1930s.

Cameron instead cited their alternative plan, which would admit 3000 more child refugees but only from camps in the Middle East and North Africa.