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Tory Amber Rudd insisted she’s not taking lessons from Donald Trump today, after it was revealed the Government is to end its commitment to take in thousands of lone child refugees.

Labour's Pat McFadden said the decision risked aligning the Government with the US president's "America first" mantra.

SNP home affairs spokeswoman Joanna Cherry also questioned whether the policy was the result of "cosying up" to Mr Trump.

It follows a backlash over the announcement that just 350 children will be brought into the UK under the ‘Dubs amendment’.

The number is barely a tenth of the 3,000 demanded by 84-year-old peer Lord Dubs, who fled the Nazis to Britain as a child.

(Image: REUTERS)

Lord Dubs won a victory last year when he amended the Immigration Act, forcing Britain to accept unaccompanied child refugees who had already made the dangerous crossing to Europe.

The Tories have capped the number of lone child refugees being brought to Britain because ministers are afraid it would “encourage people traffickers”.

And Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the amendment was only agreed to on the basis that it would not “act as a pull factor for children to Europe, and that it would be based on local authority capacity.”

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she did not recognise the comparison, adding that Britain was not pulling up the drawbridge to vulnerable refugees.

Mr Trump's travel order indefinitely barred Syrian refugees from entering the US, and suspended all refugee admissions for 120 days.

Former minister Mr McFadden said: "I want to ask her what signal she thinks this sends to the world in the wake of the announcement last week from President Trump, in a different context.

"There are always those who will say look after our own, charity begins at home, Britain first, America first, France first, and so on.

"Does she really want us to be aligned with that sentiment, or a different one?"

On Wednesday, the Government announced that 350 children will be brought to the UK under the Dubs Amendment - far fewer than the 3,000 originally expected.

(Image: Getty)

Ms Rudd responded: "We are not saying we are closing the door, we are putting up the drawbridge. We are not saying that.

"I would urge him and honourable members across the whole House not to fall into the trap of suggesting that we are not a country that is welcoming of refugees, that is stepping up to our obligations, that is supporting with money and with refugee programmes, the most vulnerable.

"I do not recognise the comparison he is making, and I hope that other members will share in that position."

Ms Cherry said the Government's decision was "completely against the spirit" of the Dubs Amendment.

She added: "I understand the pull argument, but there are thousands of children already in Europe and many of these are unaccompanied and vulnerable.

"Lord Alfred Dubs has described what was done yesterday as shabby and deceitful.

"It seems the Government tried to sneak out what they knew would be a very unpopular announcement, when they were busy avoiding scrutiny in this House about the Brexit deal.

"Is this the shape of things to come? And is this what comes of cosying up to President Trump?"

After the debate, Labour's Yvette Cooper said: "The Home Secretary's response today was completely inadequate. Far from deterring traffickers, this decision to halt legal routes to sanctuary will encourage traffickers instead.

"By closing both the Dubs scheme and the fast track Dublin scheme for child refugees with family in Britain, at the same time as the French are closing some of their support, the Government is pushing vulnerable children back into the arms of smuggler and trafficker gangs, and back into modern slavery.

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"Already we are seeing hundreds of children starting to return to Dunkirk and Calais. Both France and Britain have an obligation to work together to make sure the dangerous Calais camp conditions don't start all over again.

"The Prime Minister said last week that "on refugees this Government has a proud record.... and long may it continue." It's time Ministers lived up to that and continued this important support for child refugees now.”