DR Sarah Wollaston was one of 294 MPs who voted against allowing 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children into the UK.

The vote, which took place on Monday, April 25, was to an amendment to the immigration bill proposed by former refugee and Holocaust survivor Lord Alfred Dubs, which would have seen the UK take in 3,000 children who are already in Europe.

There are thousands of unaccompanied children in refugee camps across Europe, many have lost their family in war and destruction in their native countries, many have lost them on the journey towards the supposed safety of our shores.

These children are often at risk of abuse, trafficking and being forced into prostitution, as well as already living in extremely harsh conditions in camps.

294 Conservative, DUP, UKIP and UUP MPs voted against allowing the children into the UK, with James Brokenshire, Conservative MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, being quoted by the Independent as saying: ‘Our starting principle is that we must put the best interests of children first and avoid any policy that places children at additional risk or encourages them to place their lives in the hands of people traffickers and criminal gangs.

‘In any response we need to be careful not to inadvertently create a situation in which families see an advantage in sending children ahead, alone and in the hands of traffickers, putting their lives at risk by attempting treacherous sea crossings to Europe.’

But Yvette Cooper, chair of Labour’s taskforce on refugees, said after the debate: ‘It is deeply disappointing that the government has rejected the Dubs amendment – albeit with a reduced majority.

‘Thousands of children are sleeping rough in Europe tonight, vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and Britain should not be turning its back.

‘Alf Dubs will keep pressing this issue in the Lords as we must do our bit to help.’

The next day however, the House of Lords defeated the Government as it backed a revised amendment, which didn’t include the 3,000 target, 279 votes to 172. The bill will now return to the House of Commons.

Lord Dubs told the BBC that: ‘When all is said and done, the government will still leave thousands of children in Europe. Children who are vulnerable, children who are in an unhappy situation, children who are in danger possibly even to their lives and certainly to their wellbeing.’