(VOVworld) – The UK will accept up to 20,000 immigrants over the next five years, said British Prime Minister David Cameron in the UK’s Parliament on Monday.

Syrian refugees arrive on a dinghy on the Greek island of Kos (Photo: Reuters)

He said that because the UK hadn’t joined the Schengen agreement and the EU’s relocation initiative, it would prepare its own plan to receive refugees. Immigrants to the UK will be granted humanitarian protection visas for up to 5 years, which would allow them to stay, work, and receive social welfare before they could submit their permanent residence applications. The UK will also loosen the criteria for a program which provides support for Syrian refugees’ relocation, especially children and orphans. A hearing on the proposal will be held in the UK’s Parliament on Tuesday. 
The Spanish government held the first ministerial meeting specifically to discuss ways to deal with the refugee crisis. The Spanish government said that it didn’t have a limit on the number of refugees and urged the EU to quickly make a final decision on the issue.