Theresa May has condemned Donald Trump for his “deeply disturbing” policy towards migration which has seen children separated from their parents and held in cages.
But the prime minister said despite the widespread outrage she would not be withdrawing her invitation for Trump to visit the UK in July.
“The pictures of children being held in what appear to be cages are deeply disturbing. This is wrong. This is not something we agree with. This is not the UK’s approach,” she told MPs during prime minister’s questions.
May said she she “unequivocally” believed what the US administration was doing on its border was “wrong”.
She told the Commons it was important Trump’s visit went ahead as the UK as the two countries had “key shared interests”.
May added: “When we disagree with what they are doing we say so.”
Ian Blackford, the Westminster leader of the SNP, asked why the British government still planned to “roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump” given he children were being “caged like animals”.
Labour MP Gavin Shuker added: “What does this man have to do to have his invitation revoked?”
Jeremy Corbyn had been widely expected to raise the issue at PMQs. However he chose instead to tackle the prime minister on NHS funding.
But in a tweet yesterday, the Labour leader condemned Trump for his “zero tolerance” policy.
“It’s tragic and shocking to see innocent children caged like animals at US migrant camps and to hear their cries of anguish after being forcibly separated from their parents,” Corbyn said.
“It’s immoral and goes against fundamental human rights we must always respect, no matter the situation.”
According to the US Government, over 2,300 children were separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border between May 5 and June 9.
Images and audio from the cages in which children are being held have triggered outrage both inside the US and abroad.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday night that “babies and other young children” are being sent to “tender age” shelters in Texas.
The report said visitors to the centers described “playrooms of crying preschool-age children in crisis.”
And children at the shelters were found to be “hysterical, crying and acting out.”
On Monday, the ProPublica website published an audio clip of children many of crying so hard that it sounded as if they could “barely breathe.”